If Vanessa Never Came Back
by AnnaRosas
Summary: This story is what would have happened if Vanessa had never come back, with a lot of NJ thrown in. Yes, its cheesy but no one's really written from this angle yet so bear with me through it please. Starts from S1:E6 and every chapter is an episode. The names of the chapters are the names of the episodes in the show just so it matches up and you know where you are.- XoXo Gossip Girl
1. The Handmaiden's Tale

**"Gossip Girl here. Ur 1 and only source into the scandalous lives of Manhattan's elite. And who am I? That's One secret I'll never tell. You know you love me."- XoXo Gossip Girl**

"Who called?" Rufus asked. Dan looked down at his cellphone.

"Don't know." He said. Dan flipped open his phone and answered it.

"Hello Brian." A girl's voice said on the other line.

"Excuse me, uh, I think you have the wrong number." He said.

"Oh, sorry." The girl hung up. Dan shrugged. His phone rang again.

"Yes, hello you called here again." His voice carried a little annoyance.

"Dan?" Serena's voice spoke over the phone. Dan took the phone away from his ear for a second, mentally hated himself, then brought it back to his head.

"Serena, hi. Sorry about that. A wrong number called like two seconds ago and I thought it was them again. I probably should have check the caller id. My bad." Serena chuckled on the other end. "So… You called."

"Yeah." she said. "Look, I know it's kinda out of the blue and it's very pretentious, but do you want to come this masked ball thing with me, maybe?" He could hear the blush in her voice as she spoke. Dan was flustered for a moment, secretly happy that Serena had invited him.

'Yeah, I mean yes. Of course. Yes. I do want to go… with you. Thanks, for asking." He smiled, picturing Serena at the dance with him. How did he get so lucky?

"Well then, I'll see you there." Serena smiled. Blair was right, he would do anything for her. "I'll text you the details. Bye."

"Bye." Dan said before hanging up. "Dad, I need a tux." He told his father.

Meanwhile, Serena was lying on Blair's bed with her, planning the ball.

"So, who's going?" She asked the Queen B.

"Everyone who's anyone." She said. Little did she know that Jenny had heard her question and was right outside the door, holding her breath for the answer. "Us, Nate, Chuck, Dan apparently, the girls, and everyone else at our school really. I might have some other friends drop by, but they'll be the elite."

"Mm, what about Jenny? I just figured since Dan's going, plus you got her doing all this stuff?" Serena wanted Dan to like her, and it would help if his sister liked her. Blair laughed.

"Please! A freshman. At the masked ball. No, never. Jenny is here to help set everything up, but there is no way in hell she's coming to this party. I said the elite, Jenny may have the makings to be popular, but she is still from Brooklyn. Maybe next year, but I doubt it. It's the event of the season." Serena was going to argue this, but decided against it seeing as how she was already on thin ice with Blair.

Jenny meanwhile, ran downstairs quietly, holding back silent tears as she went into the elevator. Finally breaking down, Jenny realized she didn't want to go home and decided to calm down with a walk. Still crying, she wasn't really paying attention to where she was going and a photo of her crying was posted on Gossip Girl.

 **"** **Well, well Little J. Why so glum?"-XoXo Gossip Girl.**

Jenny ignored her phone, and turned it off, thinking the buzz was Blair texting her. As she walked, she ended up slipping into an alley, uncommon in the Upper East Side, but not unheard of. She thought she was alone, but was not. A man in the alley saw her and turned around. She was already halfway down it, and decided to turn back when she saw that another man was behind her. She froze.

Meanwhile, a certain Archibald was calling Blair, and she did not answer. He left her a message, and when she didn't call him back he decided to walk to Serena's. On the way he noticed a scream. He ran towards it, and saw two guys attacking Jenny Humphrey. Racing towards them, he socked the one closest to him and was about to hit the other when he ran off. Jenny was unconscious, having fainted. He looked down at the girl, recognizing her as one of Blair's friends (or more accurate) slaves.

"Hello?" He asked her, gently shaking her shoulder. She wasn't moving, and he couldn't tell if she was breathing or not.

"Help." She whispered, not really opening her eyes. He gently picked her up and struggled to get his phone. He called the police, telling them where he was and what happened. They showed up less than 10 minutes later.

"Are you the one that called?" A tall male officer asker. Nate nodded.

"These two guys attacked her, and I had to hit one of them. He's right there." He tried to gesture to him, but was still holding Jenny which made it difficult. As he was talking to him, a passing by girl stopped and took his picture.

"It looks like our Golden Boy is a Golden Hero. Congrats on stopping a mugging N, but from the look on your face the only thing really stolen was your heart."- XoXo Gossip Girl.

Dan got the text while picking up his tux and his mouth popped open. He recognized the street and raced outside with his tux, into a cab. He shouted the address to the man and told him to get there fast. After a life endangering 4 minutes later, he was there. He threw the fare at the driver and got out.

"Jenny!" He called. There was a giant crowd now, mostly Gossip Girl fans who got the text. Nate was still carrying Jenny, and talking to a policeman. Dan pushed and shoved through the crowd, and finally made it through.

"Sir, you can't pass this line." A cop told him.

"That's my sister!" He yelled. "Jenny!"

"Oh, sorry son." He let him pass, and Dan raced over to Jenny who was still unconscious.

"What happened? Why are you holding my sister?" Dan's face was ablaze as he took Jenny from Nate's arms. Nate, remembering Chuck's face after Dan had punched it, told him what happened.

"That's it, I swear. I called the cops and they arrested the guy and are looking for the other one. I think she's fine. I got here before anything really happened." He was still looking at Jenny, wondering how anyone could want to hurt someone so beautiful. After a moment, Jenny woke up, staring into the crystal blue piercing eyes of Nathaniel Archibald. As she took in her surroundings, she was alarmed.

"Did that really just happen?" She asked.

"If you mean those two guys attacking you than yeah, it did." Nate said in his charming voice.

"Dan, please put me down." She said. Dan set her down, but didn't realize her heel had broken on her left shoe. As she started to fall, she landed in the arms on Nathaniel Archibald.

"Whoa, I got you." He stared into her eyes for a moment, before Dan coughed and he set helped her back up. She was prepared this time, but it was still a struggle to stand. Luckily Blair arrived at that moment, with Serena.

"Nate, Jenny, I've been so worried. Here Jenny, I brought you some Louis Vuittons, I noticed that your heel was snapped in the picture." She handed Jenny the box, then started talking to Nate. Jenny slipped on the shoes, grateful for the help. Dan was filling in Serena, Blair was talking to Nate, and everyone had seemed to forget about Jenny. She stood awkwardly for a moment, then was approached by an officer.

"Excuse me miss, can I please get your name, address and phone number. We'd like you to come in some time within the next week to answer a few questions, mainly just what happened. Basic information, strictly procedure. I already have the contact info for your boyfriend." Blair had to call her mother, so Nate had decided to see what the cop was asking Jenny. As he heard him reference him as her boyfriend, he couldn't help but imagine what it would be like dating Jenny. How different would she be from Blair?

"Oh, he's not my boyfriend." A flustered Jenny told him. "He's just a friend of a friend."

"Oh, well you two will need to come in together so we can get the full picture, but you can leave now if you'd like." She nodded and turned around to see Nate behind her.

"So, I'm a friend of a friend huh?" He joked. "I think I'd be a little more after today." Jenny blushed at his words, and smiled, conflicted with different emotions running through her. If it wasn't for Blair, she'd think he was flirting with her. "Anyways, I was wondering if you wanted to come to the masked ball tonight? Just as a friend obviously. I mean, just to get your mind off of this whole mess."

"Oh, I kinda just wanted to stay home after all this. Besides, I'm not invited, I'm a freshman. Freshman don't get to go to the masked ball." She bitterly repeated Blair's words from earlier.

"Well, I'm inviting you. I'll tell the doorman to let you in when I get there. Come on, that way if anyone tries to pull a stunt like this, " he gestured to the alley, "again, I can save you." Jenny was enthralled by his invitation, though she had a hard time believing anyone would attack her at a ball (except maybe Chuck).

"Well, I guess it beat sitting home alone. I'll see you at 7." She told him. Then she and Dan left, telling Blair and Serena goodbye. Jenny got a bing on her phone.

 **"This just in, Lonely Boy and Serena going to the masked ball together. When the masks come off will Lonely Boy really like what he sees."- XoXo Gossip Girl.**

When they got home, Jenny made Dan promise not to say anything to Rufus, until the next day. Then Jenny spent the rest of the day getting ready, finishing a dress she'd been working on for over two months. It was knee length azure blue, strapless with a sweetheart neckline that was princess style. She wore a shining silver belt with it and the only pair of diamond earrings she owned. It was her grandmother's, but she'd given them to Jenny for her birthday. Complete with a pair of vintage strappy white Jimmy Choos. She spent an hour on her hair, and then another hour on her make up, curling her hair and applying light foundation and mascara. She was going to ask Dan for a ride, but she didn't want to spoil his evening so she decided to take a cab. Right when she was about to leave she heard a knock on the door and went to answer it.

"Dan, did you forget you-" Nate Archibald was standing outside her door, wearing a tux. In an instant reaction kind of way, she slammed the door into his face, hitting his nose. She was gasping now, now believing what was happening. She opened the door again. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were coming and you just kind of shocked me a little." She said. Nate was holding his nose which was now bleeding lightly. "Oh my God, I am so sorry. Come here." She pulled him inside and handed him a tissue. He took it and attempted to stop the bleeding.

"Is that how you greet everyone who comes by?" He said. His tone was surprisingly flirty, despite the blood flowing from his nose and the fact that he was dating Blair Waldorf.

"Not usually." She said, handing him another tissue. "How'd you get my address?"

"Serena."

"Oh, okay. How's your nose?" She asked.

" I think it's stopped. Might I say, if someone ever tries to attack you here, that door is a really great weapon." They both laughed at the joke, getting slightly closer. "Can you, um, look at it. Is it broken?" Jenny leaned it, angling his face to the light.

"Well, it's a little swollen, but I think your Archibald looks are intact. You should be okay. I think you're fine." She was still holding onto his face, and after laughing at the joke they both stared at each other. Slowly they leaned in, almost as if in a daze. Nate noticed that Jenny smelled like Strawberries and Kiwi, and something infinitely beautiful and she stared into his eyes for a moment, enraptured by the oceanic clarity of color. Gently he pressed his lips to hers, and placed his hand in her hair. Electricity shot through both of their bodies as they savored the moment of passion. As things got a little heated, Nate pulled away.

"Sorry." Jenny said, clearly embarrassed. "I thought you wanted to."

"No, no I did. It's just that you hit my nose when you did that and it hurt. I would never regret kissing you." He gently stroked her hair, and placed a quicker, soft kiss on her lips.

"But what about Blair?"Jenny asked. It was the unspoken question in the room.

"I don't care about Blair. I mean, I do, but not that way. At least anymore. I was going to break up with her awhile ago, but the Captain won't let me." Jenny was confused by the nickname. "That's my dad, by the way. He just wants me to date her so that her mother will choose his firm to go public. It's all a game. But tonight I was going to end it. Blair wants me to find her before-"

"Before midnight. I know. I planned most of it, or helped at least. You have to find the ladies in waiting to get to Blair. Wait, so your Dad's forcing you to date her?" Jenny felt bad for Nate, but tried to understand instead of sympathize. They talked for hours, as they both spilled their family history. It was nearly eleven fifteen when they realized what time it was.

"Whoa, we better go, Blair's waiting. If you're going to tell her, it should be soon." Jenny said. Nate's nose was no longer swollen, thanks in part to the icepack Jenny had gotten him.

"I guess I better. I feel like my nose might be really broken by the end of the night." He chuckled. "Hey, will you care when Blair finds out about us?" Jenny hadn't thought about it. Mostly because it was just a kiss, but she felt like it could lead to more someday.

"I don't know yet. Maybe we should hold off, at least for a few weeks after you break up with her. I don't really want to inflict Waldorf wrath on myself." Nate frowned at her words. He didn't like the thought of staying away from Jenny. Now that he had gotten to know her, he never wanted to leave her, now that he had kissed her he didn't want to stop, and now that he had poured out his whole life to her he couldn't bear to ignore her.

"What if we just keep it a secret for now? Our secret." He suggested. While still painful to him, this idea seemed bearable to Nate.

"I don't know Nate, lying to everyone. It seems wrong." Jenny replied.

"I know, but I don't think I can stay away from you for long." He pleaded. He was only a few inches away now, gazing into her eyes, and he could see a life with her. Secret kissing now, before finally announcing to the world that she was his, and his alone. Sure, his parents wouldn't approve, but he wouldn't care. Then after dating for years, he'd pull out a ring and ask her the question he'd prepared for for so long, then saying 'I do' and kissing her as a way to fully make her his and he hers. Then dancing with her, and her graceful in her white dress. That night he would finally be with her and a month later she would tell him the news. They'd go to birthing classes and all of those ridiculously stereotypical things to prepare. Then one day she'd tell him her water had broken and they'd rush to the hospital, and she'd give birth to their child. A beautiful little boy. They'd raise them equally, both putting in time to raise their children. At least two more would come, and we'd be an actual happy family, not just the looks of one. They'd go to college and move out, and visit on weekends. They'd get married and have kids, who they'd play cards and watch old movies with. They'd age, though Jenny would do a great job of holding up even though that mattered little to him. Then when they were old and grey they'd die peacefully in their sleep, together. All of this he saw in a flash, a dream within him.

"Well when you put it like that." She said. He flashed a smile. It was not his charming smile for the crowds, but a real smile (though it was indeed charming). She kissed him again, closing the gap between them.

"Jenny, stop." Nate said, laughed as she continued to kiss him. "We gotta go, its already almost eleven thirty." She finally pulled away, and grabbed her purse. They kissed once more before leaving, and then went outside the hail a cab. Unbeknownst to them, a passing by girl snapped their picture and sent the hit to Gossip Girl.

" **My, my, what is Nate doing with Little J. He should be at the masked ball, and she should be home alone. That's quite a nice dress for watching Netflix. Could it be that N dropped B for J. Remember that a picture speaks a thousand words, so get out your camera phones and give me the proof." -XoXo Gossip Girl**

On the cab ride to the ball, they got the hit. "Oh no!" Jenny exclaimed. "Blair's going to kill me, I have to go back." The driver slowed down a little, but didn't stop.

"No, keep going. Jenny, we'll be fine, it anyone asks I was just checking on you about the attack earlier. It's not a big deal, plus we're only late because you attacked me with the door." He gave her a flash of his cute cocky grin. She smiled, and lay back in his arms, if only for the ride over.

Meanwhile, Blair was feeling impatient about Nate not yet arriving. She checked with the bouncers repeatedly, until she got the blast from Gossip Girl. "Serena!" she screamed. "Where are you? Has anyone seen Serena?" Serena, meanwhile was kissing Dan as the danced to some pop song that they'd heard a billion times already.

"Dan, I'm having a really great time here with you." She said. She was so happy at that moment, that she never wanted it to end. When she was with Dan, she could forget all the bad things she had ever done, and all the bad things that been done to her in the past. And when he looked at her, he saw the only girl who had actually noticed him and seen who he truly was. It was like she was the Sun, and he was the Earth, full of life and utterly unable to help but revolve around her.

"Serena, there you are!" Blaire said, destroying the perfection of that moment. She dragged her arm and pulled her away from Dan to face her. "Serena, look at this." She handed her her phone. "What is Nate doing with that wannabe?" Her tone was filled with malice and anger.

"Hey!" Dan said in a sharp tone. He was angry at Blair's words, but anger still by the picture on his phone. "What's Jenny doing with Nate?" He asked Serena.

"I don't know, he was supposed to be here. I'm sure it's nothing guys, really. Nate was probably just talking to her about what happened earlier. He would never do that to you Blair." Serena said in a reassuring voice.

" **What's wrong B? Nate would never cheat on you. He's never done that before. Oh wait…"- XoXo Gossip Girl.** Posted along with it was a picture of Nate hugging Jenny at the entrance to the ball.

"I'm going to kill her!" Blair screeched. She tore through the crowd and towards the entrance. Just as Nate had entered and Jenny was about to. "Stop her, she doesn't have an invitation." Blair commanded The bouncer put a restraining hand in front of Jenny, as she froze as utter terror shot through her.

"Hi Blair." She waved, trying to maintain the smile from earlier. "We're here." Blaire strode over to Nate, not caring that the entire crowd was watching her.

"Where were you?" She pointed to his chest. "You were supposed to find me." It was not yet midnight, and the masks were still on, but everyone could tell who they were.

"Blair, I'm a little late. It's not the end of the world. Calm down." He put on a reassuring smile, and took off his mask. "I went to pick Jenny up and she accidently hit me with the door." He pointed to his nose, which was still slightly swollen and pink.

"Oh." Blair was momentarily stunted. "But, I saw the photo." She pulled out her phone and showed him the photo of them hugging.

"Yes, I hugged her. She's a friend Blair. As far as I know that's still legal, hugging. I was just saying goodbye so that I could come and find **you**." Blair looked sheepish for a moment.

"Well, I guess I did jump to conclusions. I just… I thought that… I wanted to start over, but when I saw you with her. Nate, I don't think I can do this anymore. Everytime that you're gone I think you're with Serena. Now Jenny. I mean, I love you, so much, but I can't be with you anymore. This is over." She stepped to him, and gave him one last kiss. "I'm sorry."

 **"This just in, B breaks up with N in front of everyone. Guess he can finally go after Serena now, if he still wants her."- XoXo Gossip Girl.**

Nate ignored the buzzing in his pocket, know what it would say, and just looked towards the ground, stunned. It was one thing to be break up with someone, and quite another to be broken up with. Blair walked over to Jenny, not really angry at her anymore.

"If you want to stay, you can. Though I believe Nate when he says he didn't touch you and I'm not punishing you don't be fooled. If I ever see you with him again I will destroy you. Got that?" Jenny nodded furiously, guilt rising in her chest. "Good, now follow me. There's an open bar and I need a drink." Jenny followed her, leaving Nate feeling alone and empty. Serena quickly followed them, and Dan behind her.

"Serena," Dan said. "I'm going to head home. I'll see you tomorrow. Good luck with Blair, I feel like your going to need it. Oh, and tell Jenny to be home by 1, I can only hold off Dad for so long."

"I'm not sure that this can be solved that fast, but I'll tell her. Thanks for coming tonight, it meant a lot. I'll see you." Serena gave Dan a light goodbye kiss and then went over to Jenny and Blair, when the brunette was already on her second shot.

"No, sympathy, I want the party Serena. We," She handed Serena and Jenny both shots. "are going to drink until we forget who we are and why we're here." Jenny and Serena exchanged nervous glances at one another, then took the drinks and downed them.

 **"You can't have everything, no matter how hard you try."- XoXo Gossip Girl.**


	2. Victor, Victrola

If Vanessa Never Came Back (Part 2)

" **Gossip Girl here. Ur 1 and only source into the scandalous lives of Manhattan's elite. And who am I? That's one secret I'll never tell. You know you love me." - XoXo Gossip Girl**

" **Living life as the Manhattan teenager is always fun, especially when you have a Daddy who will buy you a Strip Joint anytime you want. Here's hoping Chuck Bass's Daddy tips well."- XoXo Gossip Girl.**

Blair woke up, hungover and not in her own bed. Next to her were Jenny and Serena, both still in blissful sleep unaware of the hangovers waiting for them when they awoke. "Hey! Wake up guys!" Blair nudged them, and when they didn't immediately respond she shoved them. This time, Serena was rolled off the bed, effectively waking her up.

"I'm up." She said, pulling herself up and back into the bed. "Ow. Oww! I remember one of the reasons I stopped drinking so much. I definitely don't miss the throbbing in my head."

"Guys, where are we?" Jenny mumbled. She blinked a few times, still half asleep.

"We're at my place." Serena answered. She had gotten up to go to the bathroom, and was brushing her teeth. "What did we do last night?" She asked.

"I remember breaking up with Nate, six shots of tequila, and then…" Blair fell short. "I don't know. How did we get here?"

"I think we took a cab." Jenny filled in. "I remember that much, but after we started drinking, that's it. It's all kinda hazy from there." The three girls all thought for a moment.

"Gossip Girl!" They all shouted at the same time. They all pulled out their phones, and checked in to see the latest hit.

"Chuck bought a strip joint?" Serena asked. Jenny blushed, remembering her encounter with Bass at the _Kiss on the Lips_ party.

"No, it was a burlesque club. He's trying to get his dad to invest in it. He was supposed to show me today at 10." Blair looked at her phone again. "Oh no, it's already 2. Chuck's going to kill me. He wanted to show me before he showed his dad." Blair scrolled down more. "Okay, so she livestreamed the break up and said we were hammered, but that's it." Blair dialed Dorota's number waited for her to answer.

"Hi Dorota, I'm going to need you to bring a change of clothes to Serena's place stat. And hurry!" She scolded her maid. She shut the phone and got out of bed.

"Serena, Jenny, last night was fun… I think. But regardless, that does not mean that I am over Nate. I just wanted to let you know, so you understood when I forbid both of you to date him. You two are both my friends, and friends don't date each other's exes. Serena, you're with Dan; and Jenny…" She paused. "We'll find you someone." She smiled and left to the bathroom. Serena and Jenny stared at each other for a moment.

"If she wasn't my friend, I'd think she was being rude." Serena said. Jenny laughed and nodded.

Meanwhile, Chuck Bass was looking over his papers for his father again. Blair _was_ supposed to come and look everything over, but after seeing the picture of her drinking the entire bar he hadn't expected much. It would definitely help dull his nerves and quell the anxious feeling in his gut. He walked into his father's building, took a right to the elevator and went up. As he got out, he saw Lily Bass walking out of his father's office.

"Lily." He said. He flashed a cocky grin and spoke in the laid back tone he always used for sarcasm. "A pleasure as always. How is Serena? I thought she had changed, but after last night…" He let his voice wander off. "Oh well. I liked her better before anyways."

Lily sighed. "Well, you know Serena. She's a wild one. I had thought that maybe she was finally… Well she's young. She just needs some time to "sow her wild oats," so to speak. Well, I really must be going Charles. I hope I'll be seeing you soon. Good bye."

Her words and the way she had acted had been polite, but Chuck had known her long enough to know that underneath it all she was secretly worrying about Serena, and if he was being honest with himself, he was too. While he had always claimed to enjoy the "wild" version of Serena, he truly did care about her as a friend and had hoped that her change had been real. He shook the thought away and took a deep breath before walking into his father's office.

"Chuck, what have you done now?" Bart had expected the worst. He looked down at Chuck, unsmiling.

"Nothing worse than usual Father; in fact, I've been pretty busy lately." He smiled, and walked toward Bart's desk. "I have a business proposal for you." He placed the binder on the modern desk in front of him. Bart's expression shifted to one of surprise with a hint of pride.

"Really Chuck, I mean I've been waiting for you to show me that you've become responsible, but now I know!" Rarely did his father smile at him, but today he did. Chuck's eyes brightened and he found that he also had a grin on his face. "I have some meetings, but how about we meet after-"Chuck cut him off, eager to prove himself to his father.

"After's perfect!" He shook his father's hand jubilantly, and then exited the room. It was the first time in his life that he could finally feel that his father was proud of him. He thought about going to the hotel bar for a drink, but found that he no longer had a craving for one.

"After's fine." Chuck cut him off. He gave him the papers and shook his father's hand. The feeling in his heart was indescribable, and he wanted nothing more than to keep feeling it.

Meanwhile Dan and Serena were passionately kissing at school. After their spectacular time at the dance, they decided it was time to move forward with things, and Dan had no reservations when it came to Serena. He saw her as the sun; able to not only light up his path, but warm him with an energy he never knew was possible. He was falling in love with her.

" **I've heard of PDA, but this is getting ridiculous. I'd say get a room, but in the Upper East Side we prefer mansions. At least Lonely Boy isn't so lonely anymore." Xoxo- Gossip Girl**

They both felt their phones vibrate, but after reading the blast they ignored it and simply continued on as before.

"Serena… I would love… to continue this… but… class…" He spoke in between kisses.

"Why... do we have... to go to class? I'd say… you're learning… a lot more… with me…" She pulled away and looked into his eyes, barely managing to restrain herself.

"I guess missing one day won't hurt. My dad's not home right now, he has a big art thing across town today, and he won't be home for hours." Dan gave her a mischievous smile. "Come one!" He kissed once more and then pulled her away to the street where he hailed a cab.

"Dan, what are you doing?" She looked around, searching for prying eyes.

"Gossip Girl said to get a room, and I know it's not a mansion but the Loft is free right now and I was thinking…" He looked at her. She was biting her lip, thinking it over for a moment.

"Okay, but we have to hurry. We are deep in Gossip Girl territory and I don't want my mom to see. She's already furious about my drinking with Blair." Holding hands they climbed in the cab and continued with their make out.

Jenny looked over and saw her brother and Serena excitedly hailing a cab before leaving in it. She smiled and shook her head. Those two were so obvious. The school uniforms weren't exactly easy to blend into normal clothing. She pulled out her cellphone and sent a text to Gossip Girl. A moment later the blast was sent, and Jenny laughed. That served them right. If she was forced to go to school with the mother of all hangovers, then it wasn't fair that Dan got to play hooky with Serena. A few minutes later…

 **"Looks like my advice has been taken a little too literally. After partying like it was 2006 and now ditching school, it looks like our It Girl is back to her old ways and she's taking Lonely Boy with her. A minor backslide, or the beginning of the end?" - Xoxo Gossip Girl**

Already at the apartment, Dan and Serena got the blast. They pulled away from each other and read the message. Awkwardly, Serena moved away and sat opposite of Dan on his bed. The room was silent for a few minutes. Dan reached over and held her hand.

"Ignore that, this is just a onetime thing. I'm sure that our attendance won't be permanently damaged after this." He tried to laugh, but it died quickly.

"Maybe for you it wouldn't. But Dan, you didn't know me before. I would always do this and now… I'm trying to be different. Maybe… Maybe I should focus on school for a while?" She looked at his window and now at his eyes, which would have calmed him.

"You want to break up?" His voice was low and he pulled his hand away.  
"No." Her voice was low too, but forceful. "I just think we're moving so fast and it's all so confusing. I like you Dan, a lot. And I definitely don't want to end things, but… I want to… slow down." She slowly turned to face him and eventually raised her eyes to meet his.

"Serena." He breathed a sigh of relief. "You don't have to look so afraid. Come here." He reached over and pulled her to him, so she was now lying in his arms. "If you want to slow down that's fine. I'm actually glad that you want to work on school and stuff. We're young, we have nothing but time. As long as you still like me, and I still like you." He kissed her hair and for a while they sat like that, just looking up at the ceiling.

"Where is Serena?" Blair asked her minions as she looked around for her best friend. Lunch on the steps never felt complete without the full cast of royalty there.

"Gossip Girl said she went with Dan to, you know." Penelope pulled up the photo on her phone and showed it the Blair. As much as she despised Blair, Blair was Queen of Constance. Minor traces of friendship lingered from their shared childhood friendship, but Penelope knew that nowadays Blair considered her a minion and not a true friend. While it stung, it made it easier to despise her position as Queen.

"Ugh! When will Serena dump the Brooklynite and find herself a real boyfriend?" She rolled her eyes and sighed. Jenny looked down and pretended to not have heard the comment. Even after the events of the day before, she wasn't surprised to hear Blair's comment, but it had still stung. Blair texted Serena, "You know when you can back to New York; I expected to be able to actually see you at lunch. I didn't expect you'd ditch me to go have sex with your lower class boyfriend!" A minute later she got a message back.

"Calm down B, Dan and I decided to wait. IDK, I just think that I don't want to rush things right now. Can you come over later so we can talk?" Blair smiled at her phone.

"Girls, Serena needs to learn a little respect." She showed them the text. "Maybe Gossip Girl can help?" She sent the hit in, knowing that Serena would know who sent it.

 **"This just in from Queen B herself, looks like Lonely Boy hasn't "sealed the deal" with our Serena. Has our It Girl finally learned to say no? – Xoxo Gossip Girl**

"Umm, guys. I have to get to class early to talk to my teacher. Anyone want to come with?" They all shook their heads as she had known they would. Jenny had to get away from them, even if just for a moment. She stood up and made her way to her English class, which was possibly her worst subject.

The halls were mainly empty, minus a few passing groups. Anyone who was important was outside on the steps, or in the quad. The only few left were people leaving early like her, or the kids with no friends. Suddenly, a hand clamped over her mouth and she felt herself being dragged into an empty classroom. Fear coursed through her as she tried to scream before she was turned around. Her scream stopped as she saw who her "attacker" was. She was staring directly into the deep blue eyes, of Nathaniel Archibald. She moved his hand from her mouth.

"Nate, what are you doing? What if Blair sees?" Her eyes darted around the room.

"Do you always do what Blaire wants?" He chuckled, relieved to see her again. "Come on, live a little. Let's go do something exciting." He pressed his lips to her, unable to stop the joy he was feeling. She pulled away, but now she was smiling too.

"Okay, okay, but not here. Promise me you'll meet me at the Loft afterschool." She stared at him with wide, vulnerable eyes.

"I'll see you at 2." He pulled her close once more, throwing all of his passion into one short kiss.

"Nate… I… Have… Class…" She had to speak between kisses. Jenny pulled away, and gave him a quick peck before leaving. "See you at 2." She left the classroom, but as the door swung open, someone snapped a photo of Jenny leaving the room with Nate in the background. Jenny barely made it to her class before she got the hit.

 **"Since the dawn of time, people have used affairs to liven up their days. Well I'm gonna use this one to liven up my page. Sorry B, but it looks like once you go Brooklyn, you never go back."- Xoxo Gossip Girl**

Jenny froze in her tracks. How would she explain this to Blair? She kept walking, trying to form a plan or even an excuse in her mind. Should she be honest, or try to protect her status. Being Nate Archibald's girlfriend may have helped her with other social ladders, but at Constance it was basically a call to war. And did she want that? Could she even handle that? She stepped into her classroom, a plan forming in her mind.

"Thank you Father, I promise you won't be disappointed." Chuck shook his father's hand, relief flooding through him.

"I better not be. Chuck, if you keep this up then maybe me wrong about you. You have potential. Don't waste it." He gave the place one more glance, and then exited to his limo. Chuck waved as his father drove away with some girl. He wondered briefly if that was where he would be in thirty years, taking a new girl into his limo every night. He had been ready when his father came, to intercept him before he walked in. Per usual, Bart came early, so Chuck had had to explain to him quickly the numbers of the place. Then after a quick tour Bart agreed, he saw that Chuck was serious and that he was maybe even growing up.

 **"Is Chuck's daddy finally proud of him? Wonder how long it'll take him to mess it up?" – Xoxo Gossip Girl**

Nate was walking down the street to Jenny's ignoring the blast the Gossip Girl had sent. Although he didn't want Blair to be hurt, he didn't care who knew about them. He was almost to the Loft when he saw it. What was his father doing in Brooklyn? And who was he talking too?

"Dad, hey Dad!" Nate jogged across the street towards his father. "Dad?" He had almost made it to the other end of the street, when he felt something strong and fast run into his side. He felt like he was flying, and then he hit the ground and everything went dark.


	3. Seventeen Candles

**"Gossip Girl here. Ur 1 and only source into the scandalous lives of Manhattan's elite. And who am I? That's One secret I'll never tell. You know you love me."- XoXo Gossip Girl**

" **Sorry I don't have anything truly juicy for you, but sometimes gossip isn't as important as it seems. Our favorite Golden Boy was hit by a car. No update yet on how he is, but I promise if you tell me, I'll tell you." - XoXo Gossip Girl**

Jenny carelessly glanced down at her phone and saw the text. Alarm shook through her as the words processed in her brain. Nate was hurt! What could she have done? What could she do now? If only she hadn't been so selfishly afraid of Blair, then he wouldn't be hurt or worse… No that thought was too painful for the moment. Nate had to be alive, he had to be. She looked around her fellow classmates and noticed that the same expression that was on her face was mirrored throughout the room.

Meanwhile Blair was in the bathroom sobbing, having already been in there when she got the hit. Serena tried helplessly to calm her down, but nothing could be done to quell the Queen B's tears. "If I had just… I could have…" She was struggling to breathe through the agony of the knowledge. "I mean, tomorrow's my birthday! How am I… How am I supposed to celebrate when Nate's… When Nate's…" She couldn't get the words out, instead she collapsed onto the ground. Serena stroked her hair and tried to tell her that everything would be alright, but she wouldn't listen. Just then a buzz came from their phones.

" **Well well, it appears that some of your hearts aren't made out of stone afterall. Anyone who's got Archibald's best interest at heart should really go down to Brooklyn Memorial hospital. Although that begs the question. Why was our Golden Boy in Brooklyn? For once you know more than I do, but if I had to guess I'd start by asking Little J." - XoXo Gossip Girl**

Blair could barely get through reading the words when a jumble of mixed emotions flowed through her. Joy at Nate's survival, burning rage at Jenny's betrayal, and maybe just a dash of hope that everything would be okay. She looked up at a worried Serena, allowing the anger to overtake any emotions she was currently feeling. The strength of her fury cleared her head and allowed her to think.

"Serena." Her voice was calm now yet cold. "We're going to go to the hospital and check on how Nate is doing. Then… We're going to destroy that little Brooklynite with everything we've got." Serena gulped but nodded, helping Blair to her feet and fixing her appearance.

Meanwhile in a busy hospital in Brooklyn lay a young blonde god sleeping off anesthesia in a hospital bed. His father was sitting next to him, head in hands, regretting every decision he's ever made. If he had just stayed clean Nate would have never seen him and gotten hit by that car. If he had just left well enough alone and not started taking money from the company then he wouldn't have been so stressed and felt the need to take anything. If he had just been a better father, a better man.

"Excuse me." A knock came from the door. A young doctor walked in, tall with chestnut hair and hazel eyes. "I'm Dr. Braun. It appears that your son suffered…" His voice faded from the Captain's ears and he could only focus on the guilt coursing through him. "That means-" The Captain cut him off.

"Is he going to be okay?" The doctor was thrown off a bit, but glanced down at the chart to recheck the numbers.

"Well the concussion should heal in about a month, but it doesn't look like he's suffered much worse. There's some bruising in the left leg, ribs and pelvic, but I must say your son is extremely lucky. We would like to keep him for a few days to run a few tests though. After that he should be on bed rest for a few weeks and of course restrain from playing any sports." He smiled and tried to look hopeful. It wasn't often that he got to give out such good news.

"Thank you Doctor." The Captain tried to say more, but he could barely get those three words out themselves. Dr. Braun smiled and left the room, busy with more things. The Captain then called his wife again, wondering how long it would take her to arrive. When he had frantically called her earlier, she had been an hour away, but now almost two had passed. He had barely had the courage to tell her why Nate had been crossing the street, and why he himself had been in Brooklyn. She had hung up then without saying another word.

"Dad." The Captain glanced over at his son, wincing when he noticed that his split lip had again begun to bleed with his words. " Where am I?" His eyes were struggling to stay open, but he managed to look around the room once before once again falling unconscious.

"Nate?" Fear coursed through the Captain, unsure if this was normal. "Can I get you something?" Nate stirred, but only just mumbling a few words.

"Jenny. Can I see Jenny?" His words puzzled the Captain who had never heard the name before.

"Nate, whose Jenny?" The words were filled with confusion, but he was almost desperate to help his son in any way he could. Nate did not open his eyes this time, but instead whispered.

"She's the only person who took the time to listen to me." He chuckled, then fell back into the drugged haze of sleep leaving the Captain even more confused than before.

Outside of the hospital, a very conflicted blonde debated entering. Entering meant bringing the wrath of Blair and possible hatred from Nate's family. Then she thought back to how if she had just been strong enough before Nate would never be in this place. That thought gave her the courage to enter through the doors. She glanced around the bustling place, and walked up to the desk.

"Excuse me." She spoke to the dark skinned kind eyed yet tired looking nurse. "Can you please tell me where Nathaniel Archibald is?" The nurse looked her up and down, before turning back to her computer. She typed up the name into the database and found his information.

"And who are you?" Jenny fidgeted, wondering what she should say. They were definitely more than friends, but she wasn't exactly sure if they were dating.

"I'm his… He's my… It's complicated. I'm Jenny… Humphrey." She bit her lip and glanced down at her feet. The nurse eyed her warily, looking her up and down again.

"Well lucky for you Jenny Humphrey, his parents allowed visitation, but only one person may be in at a time. So if I were you I would hurry. You don't want anyone else with your… complication. He's in room 12 on the second floor." Jenny blushed and nodded, hurrying to the elevator.

" **My, my what is Little J doing at Brooklyn Memorial. Guess that means that Blair's been officially replaced." - XoXo Gossip Girl**

Not a minute after the doors closed, a fuming Blair stepped into the hospital."My God this place looks like something from a horror movie." She sniffed her nose in disdain. "And it smells like something from a horror movie." Careful to avoid anybody else she walked up to the nurse's desk, her expensive heels clicking against the floor. She felt her phone buzz in her pocket, but ignored it instead setting up for the task of talking to the seemingly busy nurse. The nurse looked up at her, rolling her eyes at the state of the trust funded girl in front of her.

" Hi my name is Blair Waldorf. I'm here to see my boyfriend his name is Nathaniel Archibald. Can you tell me what room he is in?" Her voice was sickly sweet and bothered the nurses ears, who had heard many rich teens whine in her day.

" Unfortunately someone is already with him and only one person can visit at a time. But I can give you his number and you can wait outside until they are done." Blair's face turned red and anger as she realized that the only person who could have possibly come here first would be Jenny. Chuck and Serena were in the car outside and nobody else would dare come before her.

" What's the room number?" She snapped. This angered the nurse, who had had a bad day already.

"He's on the second floor, room 12. Now mind you he already has a visitor and I don't want to hear any trouble from over there you hear me." Blair's face flushed and she nodded, embarrassed at her words. Quickly she headed over to the elevator and pressed the button.

Already upstairs, Jenny was debating going in. The room was empty, save the suddenly vulnerable looking boy inside. Thinking back to her decision to come in the hospital, she quietly opened the door and stepped in. Gently she closed the door behind her and walked over to his bedside. He was sleeping, and breathing softly. A tear rolled down her cheek and she mentally thanked the doctors and God that he was okay.

Almost as if he had sensed her presence, Nate's eyes ever so slightly opened and then widened dramatically as he took in the form of Jenny Humphrey. "Jenny!" His eyes lit up and he quickly tried to get up before collapsing back on the bed groaning.

"Whoa Nate, calm down." Jenny put a restraining hand on his chest, ignoring the thrill it gave her to touch him. He nodded and tried to control his heavy breathing.

"Sorry, I just didn't expect to see you and I guess I got a little carried away." He smiled and looked down at her hand. Sheepishly she pulled away, the danger of his getting up now over and awkward. Jenny chuckled a moment then took in his features, noticing his split lip and the bandages on his head. She tried and struggled to stop the tears that cascaded down her face. Nate's expression became alarmed and this time slower than the last he raised himself up and brought her down to him, cradling her in his arms. "Shh, it's okay. I'm fine really. It's just a concussion and some bruising. I'm sure it looks worse than it is." He stroked her hair as she sobbed.

"I'm sorry… It's all my fault. If I hadn't… If I had just… You could have been killed!" More tears poured down her face as she wheezed, struggling not only to speak but to breathe Nate pulled her closer, ignoring the ache in his chest.

"Whoa, it's not your fault. I should have looked before crossing the street. You did nothing wrong." He cooed in her ear. For a few minutes they sat that way before Jenny managed to control herself. She turned to face him and very softly placed her lips on his. He tried to keep her there ignoring the pain in his lip, but since he was hurt she very easily pulled back.

"You should sleep, you don't want to get worse do you?" She chuckled and sat on the chair next to his bed.

"Promise you won't go anywhere." He gingerly held her hand and she found herself getting lost in those clear blue eyes of him. Jenny smiled and nodded.

"Just let me go fix my make up. I don't think looking tear stricken would bode well for either of your parents. I'm already from Brooklyn." She laughed at her sad but true joke. Nate reached up and stroked her cheek.

"I don't care what they think." He smiled again and then yawned before sinking back down to sleep. Very carefully and quietly Jenny got up and walked to the door, opening it slowly and walking out without making a sound. She'd have to fix her makeup and hair, and then call her dad and Dan to tell them what was going on.

"JENNY HUMPHREY!" Blair's voice echoed around the empty hallway as she bounded towards Jenny, who shrank against the door. "What in the HELL are you doing here?!" She stopped just a foot away from the blonde, her anger radiating from her skin. Jenny wiped at her eyes, determined to show as little fear as possible despite the trembling of her hands. She balled them into fists by her sides to quell it.

"I was just checking on Nate." The words even sounded fake to Jenny as she said them, spitting them out as if they tasted bitter. Her tone surprised her, sounding harsher than she had meant, but yet perfectly valid.

"That's funny, I don't remember asking you to check on my boyfriend! In fact I remember telling you to stay away from him!" No matter how harsh Jenny's words had been, Blair's were harsher. Instead of the cold calculating Blair that she had expected; however, Jenny was faced with the passionate and livid side of her. She took a deep breath, and somehow mustered up the courage to do something, become someone, she had only glimpsed at before. She became Blair, only a colder and meaner version. Someone more cutthroat and calculating. The emotions, especially fear, fell from her face as she looked up at Blair again. This time the brunette noticed the change, it's contrast throwing her off. Never had she seen Jenny as anything other than insignificant and a pawn. This version was different, almost an equal in her eyes, yet vastly more dangerous.

From inside his room Nate watched, too weak to get up. The argument had woken him up, but the change he saw in Jenny startled him. He saw it, saw the exact moment when Blair's words had broken her. It shook him deep into his core, and for a moment he wondered if he had lost the girl he had liked the other day, the girl who was genuine and kind.

"That's funny Blair." Even her voice had shifted, and the upbeat tone she had carried before was now gone as her voice was devoid of all emotion. "I thought he wasn't your boyfriend anymore. Maybe it was the sleeping with your "best friend" or the way you were always so damn insecure of yourself all of the goddamn time, but he didn't want you anymore. What's wrong? I thought you didn't want him anymore either. Then why did you turn into such a jealous bitch when he wanted someone else, someone who wasn't so afraid of her best friend stealing her spotlight." Blair was taken aback by Jenny's words, and for a moment she saw something she never could have before pictured. Jenny was a Queen. Despite the Brooklyn upbringing and the shy demeanor, Jenny had the rare personality of someone who was capable of destroying her. And that thought shocked her as she realized that she had just met Queen J. "Maybe if you had enough light of your own you wouldn't have to ask Serena to dim hers down all of the time. I guess we'll never know, since you've never had a genuine moment in your life." Then without another word she stalked off in her heels to down the hall towards the bathroom.

Blair stood frozen. No one, not Serena, not her mother, not even Gossip Girl had ever had the nerve to speak to her like that. Inside she crumbled, feeling as if everything about her had been crushed and taken out for the world to see.

She turned to her left and saw Nate, awake and staring at her. Unable to face him or think of anything else to do, she turned around and managed to run back to the elevator. Tears flowed freely down her skin as she realized that this was a call to war, and she had just lost the first time when her phone buzzed she pulled it out, seeing that someone had videotaped the fight despite the fact that the hallway had appeared empty to her.

" **Looks like our Queen B has just been dethroned. Who would have ever guessed that after all of the backstabbing and gossip it would be a Brooklynite that would take her down. All hail Queen J." - XoXo Gossip Girl.**

Blair ran crying from the elevator and ignored the Serena and Chuck. Instead she raced down the street, before finally hailing a cab and driving home. When she got there she sobbed in her room for hours, ignoring the knocking at her door from her mother and eventually her friends. Her birthday celebration had been canceled, and when the clock struck twelve she was sitting alone on her bed, crying and eating a box of chocolates.


	4. Blair Waldorf Must Pie!

**"Gossip Girl here. Ur 1 and only source into the scandalous lives of Manhattan's elite. And who am I? That's One secret I'll never tell. You know you love me."- XoXo Gossip Girl**

" **It's that time of year again. The time to give thanks for everything we have, and here on the Upper East side we have a lot to be thankful for. Like that Golden Boy is okay and recovering, or that there's a new head bitch in town which means there's new gossip. Wonder what Nate will think of his new girl's transformation." - XoXo Gossip Girl**

Jenny smiled after reading her phone. It was good to be queen. Of course the Nate situation might be a tad more difficult. She hadn't seen him since before her fight with Blair. He had been sleeping, the nurse who came in explained that they were trying to make him rest as much as possible to give his head a chance to heal. When she saw his father come later she left, making up some excuse about being a friend and that she had to go. She passed a blonde middle aged socialite on the way, who she assumed to be his mother, with a man carrying a briefcase. A minute later when they entered the room she could hear the Captain yelling about divorce from the elevator. It took all of the strength she had to press the button to go to the first floor, but she knew that Nate and his family needed to deal with this alone.

Despite the coldness she'd shown to Blair, Jenny still held a small part of herself that cared, and Nate was her lifeline to that part of herself. Of course it was hard to think above the superficial perks that she had received so far. Even though it had only been a week or so since her social skyrocket to queen, her schedule immediately filled with invitations to parties and social gatherings. Seeing the text from Gossip Girl; however, reminded her of Nate who she'd barely heard from. Sure they'd exchanged a few texts and such, but after the first day his mother put a strict no visitors rule in place. This was supposed to "protect" him from Blair who his mother now claimed she "never much cared for anyways" but Jenny wondered if that was the truth. Had Nate told his mother about her yet? Would he ever? And most importantly, did he still like her?

Jenny was not an idiot. She knew that Nate was different from the other Upper East Siders, and that she would never fully fit into his world, but was it the way she was different from his world that he liked or who she was in general. Because sure she could be the ice cold Queen if she needed to be, but with Nate she felt warm and kinder. He was the only one nowadays that could elicit that type of response from her despite their limited communication nowadays.

"Thinking of u." She texted him. A few minutes later she received a response.

"Wish u were here. Parents r fighting again. Wish they'd do it somewhere else." Jenny frowned. With all of the money the Archibald's had it was odd that they would fight in a somewhat large hospital room (after the first day Nate had been moved to a more "appropriate" hospital), instead of at their building. Sighing, she typed a response.

"They probably just don't want to b away from u. Especially with everything going on." She didn't mention the divorce, because she knew he didn't want to talk about it just yet. Nate was more of an in person kind of guy, despite it being the 21st century. Another buzz.

"I get out tomorrow. U should come over. We can watch movies and distract ourselves from our parents." Jenny smiled at the thought of seeing Nate. Getting away from the loft would be great too. Her parents constantly argued over the phone nowadays and she hadn't seen her mom since before Summer. Dan and her were already preparing for the divorce, despite the fact that when their mom called she said they weren't going to "put you guys through that." It was hard for Jenny to think about her mother. She had always been very down to Earth, contrasting everything about Jenny nowadays.

"Sounds perfect. C u there." She sent the message, not even trying to hide her smile. Everything seemed to be going in an upwards direction now. Blair Waldorf; however, felt differently.

"B you have to go outside. It's been a week." Serena tried to reason with her friend. Blair had mostly been stuck in her room the past 7 days, save once or twice to get food late at night when Dorota had already gone to bed. She groaned at the blonde, not even bothering to move from her bed. Serena opened the blinds, allowing light to enter the dim room. "Come on. Promis me you'll at least shower. How long's it been?" Blair mumbled something, again not moving. "What?" Serena took a step toward the bed.

"I don't remember." She groaned. Blair turned onto her back and stared at the ceiling. Serena could finally see her face clearly for the first time in days now that there was light in the room. While she had already noticed that her hair was a tangled dirty mess, seeing her face made Serena realize just how bad things were. Blair hadn't even bothered to take off her makeup since the day of hers and Jenny's fight, but all of the tears that had washed down her face left it smeared and crusted. Her eyes remained in a perpetually red and puffy state, and due to the old makeup, lack of washing her face, and poor diet she had begun to acquire some acne. Looking at her fully now she could also see that she had gained a few pounds, something that had not happened since her hushed bulimic days. This worried her, since she knew just how bad things could get when Blair tried to lose weight. Sighing, she grabbed onto her friend's arm and dragged her off of the bed, ignoring her weak struggling against her.

"Let go of me, I never want to leave this bed again." More tears fell down her face, but by this point Serena was practically immune to them, despite the fact that somewhere deep inside of her her heart was breaking. Another harsh pull and Blair was off of the bed and onto the floor. Serena dragged her to the bathroom, fighting her literally every step of the way.

"Come on Blair, your dad's coming in a few days. Do you really want him to see you as such a mess?" That finally did it. Blair stopped struggling and thus Serena stopped dragging. Gingerly the former queen stood up, brushing invisible dirt off of her clothes, despite the fact that in all actuality the floors were cleaner than she was in this moment.

"Fine. But only because I haven't seen Daddy since he left and this may be my perfect opportunity to show Nate what he's missing. I mean, he has to show up to dinner right? It's tradition." Without another word she stalked off into the bathroom, not giving Serena a chance to say anything to ruin her perfect fantasy.

" **It's been a week since anyone's even seen the former ruler of the Upper East side. Rumor has it that she's a bigger mess than when Serena left. Guess good breeding doesn't always win out." – XoXo Gossip Girl**

Serena shook her head at the text and called Dan. It only took him a moment to answer. "Hey Serena, what's up?" His tone was light, highly contrasting to her own.

"Did you see the text from Gossip Girl? She's right. Blair's a mess and she still thinks Nate's coming to dinner, even though they haven't even spoken since the breakup. Plus, I talked to him the other day and his mother is supposedly whisking him away to his grandfather's for Thanksgiving." She suppressed another sigh. She had been sighing way too much these days.

"Well that sounds like a mess. Anything I could maybe do to help?" He offered. He hated seeing Serena like this, even though he had rarely seen her the past week since she had been so caught up with Blair. Serena paused on the phone for a second, wondering if she was maybe asking too much.

"Well, as a matter of fact there is something you could do. I was maybe hoping you could talk to Jenny, see where her head is at?" She let the question hang there for a moment, trying not to push him farther than she had too. This time it was Dan who suppressed a sigh.

"Serena I'm really trying to stay out of this whole mess. I mean, Jenny may be my sister but I've never had that much control over her, even when we were kids. Asking her to give up her "crown" would be a waste of effort." Serena bit her lip, and pushed on, knowing that it was already too much thus far.

"I know, I know. I'm not asking that, I was just maybe thinking she could go easy on Blair. I know she doesn't deserve Dan, but she's my friend and it's really important to me. All of Blair's old friends are having dinner elsewhere, but since Jenny's busy anyways maybe she could encourage them to come to Blair's?" Again there was a moment of silence as Serena prayed and Dan pondered. This time he didn't hold back his sigh, but instead decided that there was not much he wouldn't do for this goddess he had feelings for.

"Fine. I'll ask." Serena squealed in joy and thanks. "But please don't expect too much. You know how girls can be with all of their fighting and backstabbing." Dan mentally cursed himself. When it came to Serena he was so pliable.

"Yay! Thank you, thank you, thank you! You are the best!" She giggled, and it radiated through Dan making him feel better about his decision. Then Serena paused as she heard the water in the shower stop. "Um, I think Blair's out of the shower. I'll call you when I leave, maybe we can grab dinner or something?" Dan smiled a goofy smile, glad that Serena could not see his expression.

"Yeah, that sounds great. I can't wait. Bye." He hung up then, wondering how he could have secured the most popular girl in school.

"Dan I'm home." Jenny's voice came from the kitchen.

" _Just in time"_ he thought. At least he didn't have to worry long.

"Dad said that he wants to go grocery shopping for Thanksgiving tomorrow. I was thinking maybe we could rent a movie, stay in tonight?" Despite the rise in her social status, since Blair hadn't even sent a single blow to fight her she didn't feel the need to divide from her family. Instead she almost felt closer to them, cherishing this one bit of normal left in her life. Dan gulped and strived to sound casual.

"That sounds great Jen, and maybe after you could suggest to your friends that they go to Blair's since you'll be here." His casual tone was wasted as Jenny stopped in her tracks.

"What?" Her expression went blank and instead of turning to rage she laughed. "After all that Blair put me through you want me to be nice to her?" Her laugh grew and she was practically struggling to breathe from it all.

"Oh come one Jenny, things have been really hard for her since that day. Maybe you could do this as some sort of peace offering?" He knew that outright demanding her to do it would send his sister running, but by adding a strategy to it, she just might go for it. Jenny shook her head.

She scoffed at the notion of peace with Blair. "Please, she deserves everything she's getting and more. She's just lucky I'm kind enough not to actively do something against her." Jenny put her bag down on the table and walked over to the fridge, done with the conversation. But Dan clearly was not.

"Jenny we both know the only reason you haven't done anything is because it would be another call to war and you already won the last one. This could be your chance to prove that she lost so badly that you pity her. Think of what that would mean to her, and think of what it would mean to Nate." Dan hadn't wanted to play that card, but he knew it was the only one that might work at this point. Nate was Jenny's soft spot nowadays, and he knew that despite his upbringing the guy wasn't your typical elite jerk. Jenny pondered his words as she sipped a cup of ice cold water.

"Well, I don't want to seem cocky. Then again maybe you're right. I don't want to become Blair, I just wanted to surpass her. I mean you saw how easy she was to take down. Maybe I can talk to Penelope and Izzy. I'm sure they'd be willing to go. After all, I'm not a dictator. I'm a Queen." With that she stalked off to her room, already sending the text to her minions.

" **This just in. It looks like Queen J is a leader of the people. Rumor has it she's sending over a pity party for Blair. Does this mean she's been demoted to Princess B or just plain old Waldorf? Has our former B star sunk so far?" – XoXo Gossip Girl.**

Blair read the text, first saddened then angered. "Who does this Brooklynite think she is? How dare she have the nerve to pity me!" Serena bit her lip, anxious to see what Blair would do. She had intended for the girls to cheer up Blair, but Gossip Girl had spun it in a way that made it seem like Blair was begging for attention and that Jenny had been kind enough to give it to her.

"B maybe she's just trying to be nice. You know, put the past in the past." She tried to keep her tone upbeat and hopeful, but could see her plan crumbling before her eyes as Blair tore through her closet in search of something to wear.

"Be nice! BE NICE! How dare that little wannabe think she has the right or the ability to pity me. She stole my friends, my boyfriend, my title, and my life! Everything about her is me on a genetically flawed body. And she has the audacity to pity me!" At this point she was practically throwing clothes as she searched, finally finding a short but tasteful black dress with a sweetheart neckline made of chiffon fabric. "I've been saving this for a very special occasion, but it seems that the time has come for drastic measures." Serena gulped, secretly worried that the dress may be too small for Blair with her slight increase in weight.

"Um, B are you sure you don't want to go shopping for something instead. We can get out of the house, maybe even head to the gym afterward." She tried to sound nice, after all she had her best friend's best interest at heart. Blair turned around and glared at her.

"Serena you don't have to skirt around it. Yes, I may have gained a few… grief stricken pounds this week." She said the words matter-of-factly, ignoring their sting. "But that's nothing some cardio and organic leafy greens can't fix." She forced a fake smile to her face and put the dress back in her closet. "After all, if there's one thing we Waldorfs can do it's lose weight after a breakup." She thought back briefly to when her father had left them and her mother had secluded herself in her room, hardly daring to eat or do anything other than sleep. It was only when Blair barged in crying and begging did she finally get up, shower, and go back to work.

"Well, um, I'm glad to see you're at least positive about it. But B, are you sure you don't want to just take it slow. You don't want a repeat of-" Blair cut her off this time, not daring to want to delve into the memories of her war with food. Especially when lately it hadn't been going so well.

"Serena I am perfectly capable of not falling down the rabbit hole." The words weren't true, but she said them with such a cold tone that Serena couldn't help but believe her. "The gym does sound like a good idea though." She added as an afterthought. Rarely did she ever exercise, depending on a strict diet to keep her weight down, but since she only had a few days to lose the weight she figured she'd have to take drastic measures.

Meanwhile in a much too expensive hospital, Nathaniel Archibald tried to tune out his parents passive aggressive arguing. While it was very "new money" to show this much emotion, the absence of people and the addition of the divorce allowed his parents to justify their fight.

"Howard I don't care what your excuse is. I'm tired of this pretending that nothing is wrong." Anne's voice was cold and emotionless, without a crack in composure as it had been the night of Nate's accident.

"I never asked you to pretend for me Anne." Unlike his mother, Nate's father's voice showed the anger his owner held. "I never asked for you to become this person." His words had struck a nerve, but still Anne kept her calm, remember all of the years of her childhood as she had seen her relatives who despised each other still come together for holidays and events with fake smiles plastered on their faces.

"And so I was supposed to shout it from the rooftops. My husband was a drug addict and a criminal." Up until this point no one had mentioned the Captain's theft, and the news shocked not only Nate, but his father.

"What did you say?" The anger was gone now, replaced by shock.

"Howard I know about the fraud… The embezzlement. I was willing to stand by you before when it seemed like a onetime thing and that you were doing it for the best of the family but after last week… I have to keep Nate away from this, from you. You're too dangerous and I don't want him exposed to this." For a moment Anne's expression softened and she showed an ounce of emotion. "Please just let me, us, go. It's what's best for him." Nate felt too stunned to speak. He had known about the drugs, but the other things astonished him. The Captain gulped and looked at the floor.

"All right." His voice was low and defeated. "You can go. I won't… I won't fight you." Anne's eyebrows raised. She hadn't expected him to give up, and even as she knew it was the right thing for both her and Nate, it still stung that he wasn't willing to fight for them.

"Dad, no!" Nate couldn't believe what he had heard. Even knowing who his father was, he couldn't bear to think of his family being torn apart.  
"Nate, no! Your mother's right. I need to… I need to get my act together, fix my mistakes. Maybe after all of that I can… We can be a family again. Because even you have to admit that we haven't been much of a family lately anyways." Nate fell back on his bed, feeling defeated and lost. It was only after a few awkward minutes that Anne broke the silence.

"I'll have my lawyer bring the papers tomorrow. Everything can be split, but I don't want a dime of dirty money. Please make sure you divide it accordingly. Despite your recent… grievances, I believe you'll do what is best for Nathaniel. I'm going to get some actual coffee. This hospital brew is giving me a headache." Then without another word she left the room, taking with her any sense of civility Nate had left. Angry and disappointed he looked at his father, an expression of utter disgust on his face.

"How could you do this to her? To us? And you don't even have the guts to stand by us and fix it. Instead you're running away!" His voice rose with each word and instead of answering, his father shrank back and took each word as if it were a blow. Nate channeled his fury into strength and stood up, reaching for his jeans and putting them on under his hospital gown, before removing it and began buttoning on a shirt. "I mean… All you had to do was stop when I asked you and this would have never happened!" He gestured to the severe looking green and purple bruises on his chest causing his father to wince. "My God! You're a bad socialite, a bad business man, you're even a bad father! I don't know what mom ever saw in you!" He spit the words out and stalked out of the room, ignoring the pulsing pain from his bruises. Left alone in the room, Nate's father finally broke down crying.

" **It looks like Archibald is finally up and walking. I wonder how he'll take Queen J's "token of peace." – XoXo Gossip Girl.**

Nate felt the buzz in his pocket and realized that he hadn't checked his phone since before the fight. When he pulled it open he saw himself from a few minutes ago, exiting the hospital. Under it he saw the caption and the message from before. Jenny was being nice to Blair? No way, this had to be a trick of some sort. Jenny wouldn't just throw Blair a break _. "I mean Jenny's nice, nicer than all of the other girl's I know, but she's not that nice_ " he thought. He scrolled through his contacts, found her number and dialed it. It only took a moment for it to ring.

"I was hoping you'd call. I thought you said you didn't get out until tomorrow." Her tone was light and sent a flood of calming emotions through him. He even managed a smile. "Yeah well, I sort of let myself out early. Let's just say there's a lot of drama with my parents I don't want to talk about." He could already feel his anger fading, being replaced with a gentle joy from hearing Jenny's voice.

"Well I have just the thing to take your mind off of it. Dan rented some cheesy 80's horror movies. Do you want to come over and watch them?" Jenny suggested. Nate smiled again. One of the things he liked most about Jenny was that she knew not to push him when he was like this. Instead she simply put it aside for later instead of prying like Blair or completely ignoring it like his mother.

"That sounds perfect. What time do you think I should come over?" He stopped and hailed a cab, thinking of grabbing lunch to distract him from however long he had to wait to see Jenny.

"Now's perfect." He could hear the smile in her voice and couldn't fight the one in his even if he wanted to.

"Sounds great. I'll bring over some Chinese and see you soon. Bye." He hung up and got in the cab, unable to keep the grin off of his face.

* * *

 ** _I know this chapter didn't end after Thanksgiving like in the show but it was running a bit long so I decided to end it here. If you want to input any ideas I love to read your comments, or even just shoot me a DM and I'll read it. I know that I took a break from this story for awhile, but no matter how long it takes I eventually plan to end this at the very least with the end of the show. It might run a bit longer, but that is my total end goal. Thank you very much for reading! (Also I own nothing but my imagination)_**


	5. Hi, Society

**"Gossip Girl here. Ur 1 and only source into the scandalous lives of Manhattan's elite. And who am I? That's One secret I'll never tell. You know you love me."- XoXo Gossip Girl**

Thanksgiving finally arrived and Blair was looking spectacular. She had lost the weight she had put on plus an extra pound or two, which worried Serena a bit. As she sashayed down the stairs, her former friends were shocked to realize that their former leader still managed to maintain her dignity. "Girls, how lovely to see you." The pleasantry in her voice was fake, but that did little to denounce the sound of them. The girls nodded and looked her up and down, realizing that Blair might have some fight in her yet.

Meanwhile surrounded by posh relatives, Nathaniel Archibald answered yet another repeated question about his injury. "No, just bruising." He stated for the umpteenth time, this time for his Aunt Rebekah who raised an eyebrow in disdain.

"I must say, this is why I don't allow my children anywhere near Brooklyn. Full of nasty drivers and dirty people. Nathaniel you're lucky you didn't get an infection at that wretched hospital." She laughed, and it took Nate's years of family party experiences to refrain from wincing at the sound of it.

"Yes thank God, then I never would have made it to this lovely party." He spit back, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Even practice could not contain his annoyance. Luckily for him; however, his Aunt Rebekah didn't notice the unpleasantry. On the other side of the room though, his mother had managed to hear and frowned in disapproval. Nate excused himself and walked over to her. "You know if you wanted me smile and play the part you should have just loaded me up with medication like everyone else here." He smiled and waved to some cousins across the room. Despite his dislike of such a thing, Nathaniel was fantastic at playing the game. His mother smiled back, despite her disapproval.

"Listen Nate, I realize you are angry about the situation concerning your father, but you must realize that this is the best. Now I may have not been able to accept it for some time, but your father was not well." She gestured to his crutch which he was gripping tighter now. Somewhere deep inside of him he knew she was right, but he couldn't see that now, not yet.

"You were willing to stand by him before, why not now?" His voice rose with every word. It hadn't yet reached a volume that would alarm everyone, but it worried his mother nonetheless.

"Nate please." She turned to the people around her. "Will you excuse us?" She then gestured to the hallway and walked to the nearest room. "Nathaniel you act as if I am a monster. His "problem" did not affect you alone." She seemed close to tears, but Nate didn't notice, sickened by the games he was always forced to play.

"And do you ever wonder why he started with his 'problem?' Maybe if you didn't force him to come to these stupid events and smile and pretend everything was perfect he never would have done it!" His words cut deep into Anne, and even though he regretted them as soon as he said them he didn't take them back. Hurt by his words, Anne's hand automatically slapped him just as the last word left his mouth.

"How dare you!" The tears that had only previously threatened to spill over now came pouring out as her emotionless façade broke. She too regretted her action, but unlike Nate who felt ashamed she simply broke and collapsed onto the bed.

"Mom…" Nate's voice broke as he spoke. In all of his life he had rarely seen his mother cry. She had always been so cold like stone, never allowing her voice to do more than shake. All of his anger immediately left, leaving behind guilt in its place. She looked up at him, trembling slightly.

"The… The drugs changed him…" She sobbed heavily into the bed, leaving Nate feeling helpless. "I never thought… I never thought you would be hurt." Her breathing became louder then, and then she raised up her arm. It took Nate a moment to grasp what she was doing. Carefully Anne lifted her sleeve, exposing her arm. All along her porcelain skin were different colored marks some a deep purple, others a faded yellow or green. Nate stared in disbelief, not yet wanting to believe the truth that was staring him in the face.

"Did… Did Dad do that?" The words came out in a whisper so low he worried if she could hear him, but after a moment she nodded meekly. "You can't let him get away with this!" He felt his anger rising again, and struggled to control it this time. "We have to tell Grandfather; he'll know what to do." Never had Nate wished so badly of the Grandfather of his youth, someone who wasn't so controlling but able to fix any problem that bothered him.

"I can't." Anne's voice took on a weak tone now, as she attempted to even her voice. "Nate I can't." Again she sobbed into the bed, and this time Nate couldn't handle it. He left, and sought out his grandfather. As he crutched to back to the party he thought he'd heard his mother call out for him, but ignored it and turned to the head of the room. Always surrounded by the most people as usual, stood his aging Grandfather. He smiled, glad that finally he would be able to rely on an adult for once.

"Grandfather, may I speak to you for a moment." His voice held strong and steady, the perfect grandson. He waved at his cousin Tripp, who had been talking to William previously.

"Certainly my boy. Excuse us." He smiled and led Nate to another room, empty of everything but aging family portraits and awards. "What's on your mind?" His voice was light and cheery, glad that he could speak to his favorite grandson alone for a moment.

"Well, um…" Nate then launched into a long explanation, detailing not only what he had found out moments ago, but about his father's drug problems and so on. Telling his Grandfather, Nate felt all of the weight fall off of his shoulders leaving him feeling vulnerable and childlike. "And I didn't know what to do so I came straight to you." William's face grew somber as he absorbed Nate's words, but it only took him a moment to gain control of the situation. He placed his hand on Nate's shoulder reassuringly.

"Thank you for telling me this. I'll handle it." Without another word he walked off towards his office, leaving Nate relieved but a little empty. Since he had no intention of ever going to his father's, he and his mother slept in two of the large bedrooms reserved for guests. The silence as they both walked past each other did nothing to ease the tight pit that had begun to form in Nate's stomach. He wondered how exactly Grandfather would handle it and if he could ever forgive his father for what he had done.

A few days later, Nate left to go visit Chuck in the city. The holidays finally slowing down until Christmas he knew there wouldn't be much to do alone. He also knew that the Debutante Ball was coming up and he was expected to make an appearance with or without a date. While he wanted to bring Jenny, he wasn't so sure she'd want to go to an event that showcased Blair while she was left out due to her age. He pulled out his phone, determined to at least ask.

"Hey Jen." He focused on keeping his mind on the topic, something that became harder to do every day as he wondered what would become of his father after Grandfather finished with him. That coupled with the guilt of not protecting his mother made staying on topic even more necessary. "So the Debutant Ball is tomorrow." He knew it was short notice, but with everything that had been going on he hadn't had a chance to give her much warning.

"Yeah I helped Serena and Dan practice earlier." Her voice held reserved excitement, and it surprised him a little that she wanted to go.

"Well I know it might be boring since you don't get to walk down the stairs, but do you want to go with me?" For a moment he wondered if this was how every normal young high school boy felt asking a girl to a dance, but then realized that there were very few experiences he had that normal boys could relate to.

"Yes!" Her voice came out in an excited squeal. "I mean yeah that sounds… doable." She tried to play it off nonchalant, but even trying she could not hide the anticipation in her voice. Nate chuckled, glad that to be speaking to someone who still showed genuine emotion from time to time.

"Sounds great, I'll uh text you the details." For a moment both of them said nothing, unsure of how to properly end the call. Awkwardly they both hung up, wondering what they should've done. With everything going on, they hadn't had much of a chance to really talk about who they were to each other and it made certain instances as such very awkward.

An hour before the dance, Serena's dress still wasn't finished. "Jenny I need you." She called her boyfriend's sister frantically, knowing that she had sowing skills. "The tailor for my dress is late and everyone is booked. Can you please help me?" As little as Serena cared for the ball, she knew what it meant to her grandmother and felt a little better that at the very least she got to go with Dan.

"Serena I would love to, but I'm still getting ready myself." As much as Jenny would've killed to help Serena in any way shape or form before her rise to the palace, now she felt almost equal to the It Girl and didn't want to sabotage her own night for hers.

"I know, but really it's an emergency and it would mean a lot to me, really. And if you do then I can get there on time and you and Nate can come with us to the pre get together." Whining a bit, but trying to be polite, Serena begged for her help. She also knew that Jenny's quick rise to fame made it harder for it to last, so she threw in the party to help. Jenny didn't need to know that Nate could have easily gotten her invited if she simply asked. Despite the party; however, Jenny knew how much Serena's grandmother was counting on her, so using the party aspect to rationalize it to herself she put down her makeup and agreed.

"Okay, okay, but really I don't have much time." Jenny hung up and cursed under her breath. No matter how high on the social ladder she climbed, Serena would always be the It Girl, and she would always be the help. A cab ride later, Jenny practically sprinted to Serena's floor, dragging behind her, her sowing supplies and her dress. Her hair looked great, but her make up seemed too plain and boring to her. She wished she had at least had time to apply some mascara. All she had on was a bit of tinted moisturizer. "I'm here." Jenny ignored the buzzing from her phone, knowing that it had to have been a Gossip Girl blast.

 **"What is Little J doing at our It Girl's place? Could it be a new alliance? I guess this means B's reign is finally and officially over." – XoXo Gossip Girl**

"Thank God Jenny, I've been freaking out ever since I opened the bag. I know I should've checked yesterday but I never imagined it could be this bad." Serena walked into view then, and Jenny had to bite back the hysterical laughter that hid her horror. The beautiful golden gown Serena wore swallowed her whole, and it appeared to be at least twice her size. It stretched not only to the floor, but dragged across the ground giving her the appearance of a small child playing dress up in their mother's closet.

"Serena what the hell? I assumed you ripped something and needed a quick stitch. This will take the entire hour and possibly more, even if I speed through it." Jenny set down her bag as she spoke, pulling out a measuring tape from it. "What happened?"

"I don't know. I went to get it fitted and I think that the girl must have written down my measurements wrong or maybe she took a hit to the head. Who knows? Can you fix it?" Jenny looked the dress up and down, calculating what she had to do. Mentally she cursed before saying her next words.

"Yes, but I need to make a call." She knew that this ball meant more to Serena, but she still dreaded calling Nate. With all the work that had to be done, Serena would be lucky if she made it without being overly late, for Jenny there was no hope. She pulled out her cellphone and dialed Nate's number.

"Hi." She chewed her lip, trying to think of the right words to say. Nate didn't register her tone of voice, and smiled at hearing her speak.

"Hey, I'll pick you up soon okay. I can't wait to see you; I swear I've been looking forward to this all day." His voice was light and cheery, and his clear excitement brought tears to the blonde's eyes. She knew if she told him she was helping Serena, that he would think she was choosing popularity over him. Despite how much she loved her role as Queen she liked that Nate still saw her as the girl he met that day he rescued her. He saw her as human, and sometimes she needed that. Her voice faltered a little as she spoke, but she managed to mostly keep it together.

"Nate, uh, I can't go to the ball with you. I'm sick and I feel terrible. I'm just going to have to stay home in my pj's. I'm sorry, I have to go." She threw in a fake cough and hung up the phone before he could even speak, letting out only one small tear trickle down her face. Then she put down her phone, wiped her face, and grabbed the measuring tape. "Let's get started."

Meanwhile, Nate was staring at his phone, completely bewildered by what had just happened. Why would Jenny cancel so last minute for some flu when she'd seemed fine when he asked her. Angrily he checked Gossip Girl, and skimmed until he found the photo of Jenny. Sure in it Jenny looked frantic, but she seemed to be perfectly healthy to him. How could she do this to him? He was so stupid to think that she could ever see him as more than a status symbol. He let her fool him into thinking she actually cared about more than his last name. He went to his contacts and dialed another number. A moment later there was an answer.

"Hey Blair."

After painstakingly having Serena try on her dress for the fifth time, Jenny was pleased to see that save for a quick adjustment of the bust, the dress hung off of her like magic. The way Jenny had played with the curves to fix the waistline gave Serena's thin frame the illusion of hips without adding weight anywhere else. After another fifteen minutes, Serena tried on the dress for a final and sixth time. Now the top hugged her bust in a classy yet slightly edgy way that matched Serena's flavor.

"Thank you so much!" Serena giggled feeling more like a princess than ever despite the minimal jewelry. Jenny smiled, and took her hair down from the bun she'd had it in while she worked.

"No need to thank me, you look beautiful. And if anyone asks, I'm sick." She faked a cough, and both of them laughed still staring at Serena's reflection. Sure the dress had looked beautiful before, that was why Serena had bought it, but the way Jenny had manipulated the fabric caused any slight movement to make the dress shimmer giving Serena a graceful look as she moved, almost as if she was dancing without trying. Only the knock of Dan at the door woke them from its addiction spell.

"Serena, you look gorgeous." He couldn't take his eyes off of her as she blushed like an angel. "I mean, you always look beautiful, but tonight you look…" He paused searching for some if any words to describe her ethereal beauty. "extraordinary." Jenny coughed awkwardly as the two embraced passionately.

"So, I should be going." She started to pick up her things and put them in her bag. Serena pulled away laughing in joy, and turned to her.

"Of course not. You're going to the ball." Dan held her hand as she spoke, encouraging her friendship with Jenny. Jenny however, shrugged and shook her head.

"Guys I already canceled on Nate and told him I was sick; I don't want him to think I just didn't want to go with him." One of the tears she'd been holding back fell down her face. "Besides by the time I rush back to the loft and finish getting ready, the ball will be over."

Serena face turned sympathetic and she grabbed Jenny's hand while Dan tried to hug her. Then suddenly, Serena smiled. "That may be true if you went home, but if we stay here and use my stuff then we might just make it." She sprinted (well as much as she could in the dress) to her room then returned a few minutes later with a makeup set.

"But Serena the event starts in fifteen minutes; I really appreciate the offer but you guys should just go. This is one time Cinderella will just have to stay home from the ball." Jenny put on a fake smile and bit back more tears, but Serena wasn't fooled.

"I already told my mom to stall for us. She said she could buy us at least half an hour." She smirked and began pulled out brushes from her bag. Jenny frowned.

"I have to touch up my hair and stuff too, we'll still be late." Jenny thought of a way, any way she could make it on time but no such idea came to mind. Serena's smile didn't fade.

"All the better, I like to make an entrance." Jenny giggled at her words and sat down. Secretly she'd always wished Serena would take her under her wing and give her a makeover, but since Blair was her best friend she never got her hopes up.

"So what should I do?" Dan wanted to help his sister, but being completely unskilled in things girly he didn't know what to do. Serena laughed.

"I guess this is a little bit out of your area of expertise. How about you just call a cab before we leave and we'll call it even." Dan nodded in response and sat awkwardly on the couch.

"Let's get to work." Serena laughed and got to work.

"How do I look?" Despite knowing that Serena would never steer her wrong, Jenny couldn't help but still feel inadequate in her outfit.

"Like someone who's not my sister." Dan's words should have been hurtful, but his carefree tone didn't carry any weight to it. Jenny smiled and hesitantly turned to look in the mirror. She gasped as she saw her own appearance. Part of her had been afraid (and also hoped just a little bit) that she would look like a mini or wannabe Serena. This was not the case. Instead she looked like a person in her own right. She looked like someone who set the trends, not someone who followed them. The only similarity she held to Serena, was the air of leadership that flowed from her. Only, Serena had pushed away that spotlight in an attempt to become normal. Jenny shined in it, careful not to appear too eager, but also looking exactly as if she belonged there.

"We better hurry, the ball started five minutes ago and I can't miss my debut. Jenny you can ride with us, but we'd better hurry. Dan, is the cab here yet?" Jenny tore her eyes away from her reflection to look at Serena, who looked like the kind of older sister Jenny had always wanted. Dan put on a mock expression of pain.

"Now that is offensive, thinking that I would forget my one job." He smiled and held her hand, while she giggled her childlike laugh.

"Okay, my mistake. Let's go, we don't want to be too late." They went down the elevator and then to the cab where they drove to the ball. Just as they arrived, the names were about to be called, so Serena rushed up the steps followed by Dan, both of them breathless and laughing. Jenny hung back, keeping her eyes to the floor except on the few instances she chanced to look up for Nate. No one noticed her, except for a few boys who all stared at her. They were all well off boys in her grade who had barely noticed the girl before he had become queen. Even knowing that, they didn't recognize her. With her make up applied by Serena's expert hand and her clothes of her own creation, she looked like an angel or a goddess who had decided to grace them with her presence. The fact that her dress was white only added to the appearance.

On one of her glances she looked up at the girls who were about to be presented and saw him. Nate was up there with… Blair. Pain tore through her chest as thoughts attacked her brain. How stupid of her to think that Nate could ever like someone from Brooklyn. How idiotic of her to think that Blair wouldn't strike back. Tears came to her eyes and she quickly blinked them away. And just like that, Jenny's last connection to feeling, to being a person, was severed. She felt the pain leave her, like she flipped a switch and her emotions turned off. All she wanted now was to demolish Blair, just for the fun of seeing her squirm.

"Hi, my name's Aaron. Aaron Hearst." A tall blonde boy she recognized from her school was talking to her. She did a quick recall of his name and remembered that he had been in her science class all year. A part of her wanted to send him away, and escape to the bathroom to cry, but the queen in her made her realize something. If Nate was here with Blair, then it meant that they must be broken up. Jenny looked him up and down appraisingly. She remembered pining for him before she met Nate. And, if she couldn't have Nate well… She might as well have some fun. She smiled and batted her eyelashes just a tad.

"Hello, I'm Jenny." He extended her hand and she shook it.

" **Well, well, heartbreak does look fantastic on Queen J. Poor Golden Boy, if only he knew that he was merely a means to an end."- Gossip Girl**

They talked for a bit, before he left to get her something to drink. A moment after he left, the girl called Blair's name. Unwittingly she looked up and saw them Blair and Nate were there, arm in arm. Granted Nate looked just a tad uncomfortable, but Blair looked like the cat that got the cream. Jealously purred in her chest, especially when she saw them stand at the top, surveying the room. Nate's eye caught hers, and shock registered on his face, breaking the perfect façade he'd created. She wondered if he recognized her, of if he was simply saw her and was infatuated with yet another blonde. Aaron tapped her shoulder and handed her a drink. Jenny turned to him and flashed him a genuine smile, taking pride in the brief look of anger on Nate's face.

"I was wondering where you'd gone off to. How rude, leaving a girl to fend for herself." She kept her voice down, but allowed her eyes to do most of the talking. Aaron took this in stride, and grinned.

"My apologies, it won't happen again." He winked and then turned to watch the next couple be announced. It was Dan and Serena. Jenny felt a strange urge to cheer, but instead she applauded politely like everyone else. Serena looked shocked and angry at her presentation for some reason, but walked up the steps with grace.

"And that concludes the ceremony." The announcer's words acted like a magic spell. Everyone applauded then broke into separate groups, each moving toward the dancing area or to the little tables beside it. Aaron took Jenny's hand and led her to dance, making her blush just a tad.

"I thought only the people being presented got to dance." She glanced over at Nate and Blair, glad that Aaron didn't notice.

"For the first dance yes, but after that anyone is allowed. I hope you know the steps." He winked again, and Jenny wondered if he meant more than dancing.

"I think I can keep up." She thought back to her lessons with Serena. She certainly knew the steps, but acting them out without looking like a fool might be a little more difficult. Once the first dance was over everyone applauded yet again and more people joined the dancers. Aaron, still holding her hand, led her to the center, and moved in time with the music. She followed his lead as best she could, surprised when she found that not only was she decent at the movement, but excelling in it. It reminded her very much of her ballet lessons as a child, something she'd only given up when it cut into her sowing.

"I'd say you're doing more than keeping up." Aaron whispered in her ear. She repressed a shiver. Perhaps she had been wrong, maybe she could get past Nate and the aching in her chest. Surely no one could compare to him, but Aaron was definitely doing a decent job of trying. Then came the time to switch partners and Aaron let her go with just a twinge of regret on his face. She smiled at him, and then moved to dance with the next boy without even looking up. Strong hands guided her, familiar hands. She looked up, into the crystal blue eyes of Nathaniel Archibald.

"Fancy seeing you here." His expression was distant, and she wondered if he'd chosen her purposefully or if he'd had no other choice. A part of her cowered internally, but she pushed the feeling down and met his gaze.

"I'm surprised you recognized me. Don't all of us blondes look the same to you?" Jenny kept her tone clipped and cool, exactly the opposite of how she felt. She expected him to sneer or scowl, but instead he looked… hurt? "Wait, I didn't mean that." Shame showed on her face as blood rushed to her cheeks. She hated hurting him.

"Jenny I thought you were different." He twirled her around the same way all of the other guys did with their partners, but none of them had the tension between Jenny and Nate. "I was wrong to come here with Blair, but you lied to me." The pain of his face morphed back into the mask from before. Jenny blinked tears from her eyes, glad that the makeup was water proof.

"I know, I just… Serena needed my help and I didn't want you to think I was bailing on you for popularity or something. And then Serena said I might as well come even if its late and then I saw you up there with… her." The question she'd been about to ask was stuck in her throat. She didn't want to ask him, but she couldn't hold it back either without choking. "Do you still love her?" She met his eyes, searching them for any hint of feelings to give him away.

"Does it even matter to you if I do?" He gestured to Aaron who was laughing as he danced with a younger girl who looked just like him, but with dark hair. It was his sister, Bella. That hadn't been the answer Jenny had been expecting, and it threw her off.

"That's not an answer." Her lip quivered ever so slightly.

"Neither was that." Nate retorted. His face looked sad for a moment, before he pulled her close and composed himself. "Jenny, I need you to decide something. And we can't be together until you do. I need to know that I'm not just some pawn in this war between you and Blair. And this isn't just some overnight decision. I want you to think about it, really think about it. I'm staying here for the holidays. On New Year's, we host this party every year. When the new year comes, I want to spend the first minute kissing you. But if you decide that you choose backstabbing and drama over me then don't come and I'll know your answer." He passed her off to the next dancer and left, still graceful even in his sorrow.


	6. Roman Holiday

**Roman Holiday (Chapter 6)**

 _A quick disclaimer before anything else. I know this is a long chapter, but there are a lot of things going on right now. I also have a lot of perspectives to put in so that a full view of what's going on can be seen. Since it is winter break, I am going to be posting more often, so make sure to keep checking or to follow my story. If you have any story ideas or comments I love to read the reviews. As always I own nothing except my imagination. Thank you for reading and enjoy!_

* * *

 **"Gossip Girl here. Ur 1 and only source into the scandalous lives of Manhattan's elite. And who am I? That's One secret I'll never tell. You know you love me."- XoXo Gossip Girl**

Blair was not happy, which these days seemed to happen a lot. This time though, her reasons were somewhat valid. Her father had come for Christmas, which would have been amazing if he had not brought his gay lover Roman along with him. Blair thoroughly did a job of icing the man out as best she could, but it was rather difficult say she was going out with friends so often when she actually had no friends with whom to go out with. Serena was always happy to go when she was free, but lately she spent all of her time with Dan. Even her maid Dorota was so busy with Christmas preparations that she could barely spare a moment.

This left Blair alone a lot, spending her time in the cold feeding the ducks. It was there that she'd sit and feed the animals while day dreaming of some handsome prince who would come and take her away from this awful place. Yes, she always dreamed of finding some new love interest, that and taking down Jenny Humphrey of course. Chuck was always happy to spend time with her, but since he always insisted on going to sleazy bars or bringing along friends she was pretty sure he'd paid for, Blair didn't want to call him.

Of course, being alone was a lot better than being around people anyhow. Ever since her dethroning, even common people thought they could disrespect her. There was one thing she couldn't escape though, even if she decided to hole herself up in her room all day. Gossip girl had was running a tab to see just how often Blair went out in public alone. The numbers nauseated her more than the loneliness. Every time she went out she got a hit on her phone, and they were always similar. Something about her being alone, and then something hurtful.

" **Another day, another time Waldorf is alone. Who could have guessed that our old Queen B has been demoted to some B list celebrity? I guess it goes to show you that money can't buy class." – Gossip Girl**

And after every hit, Blair would blink back tears, push the hurt down and walk home. This routine continued up until Christmas day, where she sat glumly at table beside her father and Roman. Serena was out with Dan. Apparently they'd decided to forgo the gift giving process after Serena tried to give Dan a first edition of some book. They'd both agreed that they ought to forget it and spend the night together, an idea which led to Serena arranging some fake snow day extravaganza for him. Blair wondered absentmindedly if Dan broken the rules and gotten her something as well, but the idea didn't hold enough flavor for her to chew on it for long.

"Blair honey, what's wrong? Your mother said you had a little spat with your friends." Roman's annoying accent cut through her thoughts and she internally cringed at the way he'd said "little." He'd pronounced the 'I' as an 'e.' It tugged at a memory from her childhood, one of Roman talking to her mother. They had been best friends after all, before he'd stolen away her father and whisked him away to Europe.

"Why would you think something's wrong?" Blair put on a sickly sweet smile, "I'm here with my wonderful parents and my father's gay lover on Christmas, without having had any sort of warning. What could possibly be wrong with that picture?" The sarcasm from Blair's statement would have been dripping off if it had not frozen over from the cool tone in her voice. With that, smiled and walked away, knowing that Roman wouldn't follow her. He was a model after all, and saw through her catty façade. Of course that also meant that she could expect some sort of reprimand from her father later, but at this point she welcomed a fight. She was ready for it. She was also secretly glad that she had had an excuse to walk away from Christmas dinner. Even after her promise to Serena, she still wasn't eating a lot, and what she did it rarely stayed where it should.

* * *

Meanwhile on the other side of town, Jenny was sitting in her loft with Dan and Serena, trying to ignore the pinched feeling in her chest every time she saw them look at each other or kiss. They were so clearly in love, and as drama filled as their love life was, it was nothing compared to hers.

"So tell me again what he said." Serena asked for what seemed like the billionth time. She and Dan had questioned her incessantly about what they called, "The Nate Situation." Jenny continued with her sowing, repeating herself yet again.

"I need to make my decision by midnight on New Year's." She stared at the dress for a second, comparing it to her sketch. "And that I need to meet him at his family's party and kiss him to 'seal the deal.'" Serena pondered this for a moment, while Dan continued stirring the bowl. The two were making pancakes, and due to his lack of expertise in the area, Serena had given him the easy job of mixing.

"Well that seems like an easy choice. Go for Nate, the guy's crazy about you." Dan pointed at her with the batter covered spoon. Serena nodded along with him, adding more milk to the batter.

"He just wants to know that he's important to you. He didn't ask you to give it all up, just to tell him that he means more to you than all of that other stuff." Jenny pondered Serena's words. Nate wanted to know that he was important to her? How did he not see that he was one of the most important things in her world? But was he more important than everything she'd worked to achieve.

"But what I go and tell him that, and then he asks me to give it all up?" She blinked away tears, realizing that either way she might lose something she wanted.

Serena's expression became sympathetic, and she passed Jenny a plate of pancakes. "I guess that's just a risk you're going to have to take." Jenny watched the way she looked at her brother, and wondered if Serena had a point.

* * *

"What if she doesn't come?" Nate pestered Chuck, who was busy scouting the area for new girls. They were in Chuck's burlesque club, the only place Chuck liked to hang out these days. Nate had asked him the same question over and over again, in the hopes of being reassured. Being that he was asking Chuck though, that wasn't the case.

"Then you find some other girl and kiss her on the New Year. It's really quite simple Nathaniel." Chuck laughed and signaled for the bartender to give him another drink. Business at the place was booming and even though he hadn't said it in so many words, Chuck knew his father was impressed, maybe even proud of him. Nate's phone buzzed and he glanced down at it to read it. He frowned.

" **It appears that while Archibald may wear heart on his sleeve, it still managed to get stomped on. If he's not careful we may have a new lonely boy" – Gossip Girl**

"You're not helping." He turned down the drink one of the girls offered him and turned back to Chuck. "I think I love her, man." He waited, gauging Chuck's reaction. Chuck shrugged it off and took a sip of his drink.

"Why do you let yourself fall into this concept of 'love?' Do you know how many girls would kill to be with the great "Nathaniel Archibald," even if only for a night? You could be out there with your pick of the best and instead you're here moping over some Brooklynite." Chuck shook his head in mock disgust and took another sip of his drink. "If you're so worried about it than just concede, there's no shame in admitting that you want her if the opposite result is this."

"I can't concede. Not on this. I'm so sick of the games I just want a girl who can be the same person she is when she's with me and the same person when she's not. Is that too much to ask for?" He waited for Chuck's response, a little angry at his best friend. He'd come here for reassurances and been scoffed at. Chuck sighed and put his drink down, a sign that he was serious.

"Nate, have you ever considered what that would mean? You want some uncomplicated little innocent girl, but did you ever think about the fact that life is complicated. A girl like that would be torn apart by your family. No one in our world stays innocent for long, and if you wait for a girl like that then you're going to be waiting for a long time. Jenny Humphrey may have changed from the innocent girl you knew, but she's if she's still that girl when she's with you then you my friend must have won some kind of lottery. Because most girls here are cold through and through, but to find someone who can keep some part of themselves preserved just for you, makes you pretty damn lucky." He picked up his drink again and downed it before going to flirt with a pair of girls who were dancing, leaving Nate stunned and wondering if Chuck could possibly be right for once.

* * *

Despite their feud, neither girl had had a fun Christmas. Blair's had been filled with fighting and tears with her parents, while Jenny had spent the day longing over Nate. Her friend's had tried to cheer her up, but suddenly she didn't cherish the time she spent with them anymore. Instead she found the times she was with them that she craved for a different voice than that of uptight rich girls. A deeper, kinder voice. One that accompanied a bright smile and clear blue eyes. What if she gave up everything for him and he still loved Blair?

That was risk she wasn't sure she could take. She would lose everything for a boy who didn't care. Then again, if he did care about her, she could have it all. The popularity, the perfect boy, and Blair taken down. Unless of course he asked her to give it up. He was asking her if he could be her Kryptonite, her Achilles heel, and even though she might even love him, she wasn't sure if could go through with it.

"Hey Jenny, Jenny?" Penelope's jarring voice broke through her daze. She'd been sipping the same now empty cup of lemonade for five minutes.

"Oh, yeah, sorry. Did you say something?" Blushing, Jenny motioned to the server for a new drink and put her old one down. Penelope rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"Look Jenny, you need to get over Archibald. I know that he's perfection in every possible way," He looked around at her friends to see if they'd question it, but they nodded along, "but you can't let him pick who your friends are. That's wrong, borderline abusive." Jenny took a sip of her new drink, pondering what she was saying.

"Well he didn't ask me to not be friends with you guys, just to decide that he was more important than, you know, all of the popularity." She motioned to her friends and the spot they sat in. "It's not like he asked me to give it up." Penelope gave Jenny a patronizing look.

"Jenny, you're a Queen. You shouldn't have to decide for either your romantic interests or your kingdom. You have your pick of guys, like Aaron. Even I'm still surprised you always get the hottest guy in every year." Her tone was bitter, a fact that did not go unnoticed by Jenny. But what interested her most was her words. Aaron did like her, and if she couldn't have Nate, well Aaron was a nice guy. Jenny nodded and stood up.

"You're right, I'm a Queen. I shouldn't have to give anything up. Especially not when I have my pick. Good bye ladies, I'll text you." She dropped some money on the table for her share and began walking away. The girl's held confused and puzzled expressions.

"Where are you going?" Hazel asked her. Jenny smiled and held up her phone.

"Oh me? I'm off to get the hottest guy in the year." She grinned and walked out, ignoring the pinch in her chest and the guilt behind her following actions. She pushed them down and tried to focus on the good things, like how it was good to be Queen.

* * *

The next few days past by in a blur. Jenny had spent the time talking to the very popular and good looking Aaron Hearst, a fact which Gossip Girl capitalized on.

 **"What was that saying about putting your eggs all in one basket? Looks like Nate's old flame has found some new kindling" – Gossip Girl**

Every text Nate got these days seemed to be from her, and each letter brought a new meaning to the word pain. He'd' read about Jenny doing something or other, whether it be with her new friends or with Aaron Hearst, her supposed new boyfriend. Gossip Girl always stated that things weren't official yet, but from the looks of these pictures they'd might as well be. It made Nate wonder if maybe he should move on, since apparently Jenny already had.

"I don't know what to do." His Grandfather smiled at him while sighing, remembering his own youth. Nate had been spending a lot of time with his mother's family, particularly since he couldn't stand his father. Granted he did not know where his father was at the moment, ever since his grandfather had 'taken care of it,' but he wouldn't have wanted to see him either way.

"Nathaniel, you are so young to be hurt so much. First with what your father has done, and now with this girl business. I know it is trying, but you must look past the hurt and try to look at what it truly right for you." The words echoed in Nate's ears. New Year's eve was today, and Nate didn't know what to do.

"But if she doesn't show up, I'll be standing out there alone Grandfather." Still, Nate's Grandfather smiled his knowing smile.

"Nathaniel, you need to decide if this girl is worth whatever would happen if she wasn't there. If you don't, then you my boy, have already lost."

* * *

"I'm not going." Jenny huffed at Serena and Dan for the hundredth time. They'd kept trying to convince her to come to Nate's party, but every time she simply told them she was going to spend the New Year with Aaron Hearst. "He would never ask me to give up something important to me, and at least with him I know there's no chance he's in love with Blair Waldorf." The couple frowned, but were not yet dissuaded from asking her again. The next few hours they kept asking her, even as she was getting ready for Aaron's party, and even as she was showering, getting dressed and applying her makeup. It was as if they were hoping that by catching her by surprise her answer would magically change.

"For the final time, I'm not going to Nate's Party!" She yelled at Dan, frustrated to all hell. Dan's grin turned sheepish and he backed away as Jenny put on a final coat of mascara. A few minutes later, once Jenny was ready she stepped out into her living room to find Dan and Serena looking fantastic. "Why are you guys dressed up?" It was her turn to ask the questions. Dan smiled and walked towards the door.

"I'll get the cab, you guys talk." He shut the front door behind him and went downstairs as Serena tried for one last time to convince Jenny to decide. Jenny steeled herself, ready for Serena to yell or force her to come. Instead the blonde sat down on one of the stools for the breakfast area. She motioned for the other girl to sit down next to her, which she did (albeit cautiously).

"Jenny, I kind of realized earlier that there was one thing that we hadn't asked you. And I know that it seems Dan and I want you with Nate because frankly the Nate option offers a lot less drama, and that's not entirely untrue, but we also see how you two are when you're with each other. You guys are just… A perfect match. And I know that it can be scary choosing something new and risking everything you've worked for, for someone you love, but I guess it all comes down to one thing. Do you trust Nate?" Serena's eyes were sympathetic and when Jenny opened her mouth to answer, Serena shushed her. "No, don't answer right now. I'm going to leave through that door. And if you want to come just call me and I'll send a cab, even if I have to send the one Dan and I are in or drive it myself." She laughed and the two girls hugged, before Serena left leaving Jenny alone.

 **"Looks like our It Girl and Lonely Boy are heading to Golden Boy's New Year's bash… Sans a certain Jenny Humphrey. My, my Little J, just how far are you willing to go?" – Gossip Girl**

Jenny looked down at her phone and then threw it across the room. It hit the couch, sparing it from damage, but it didn't stop it from dialing. Without realizing what had happened, Jenny left the room fuming while her phone called a certain Archibald. Her had been her #3 speed dial, since the first time they'd ever met (before the ball) had been on the 3rd day of the month. A surprised and confused Nate answered the call. "Jenny? Hello?" Without an answered he'd been about to hang up. Rufus came out of his room to check the noise, and noticed Jenny angrily crying.

"Jenny, what's wrong?" He asked her. Nate froze on the other end, confused for a moment. Jenny looked up and wiped away the tears, glad that she had chosen to water proof her makeup.

"Dad… I think that… I think I'm in love with Nate. But I'm afraid I'm going to ruin it." She broke out into more tears, unable to hold them back. He words triggered something in Nate, besides the fact that the words warmed his heart, he realized that he wasn't meant to hear this. And it was wrong to keep listening. Oh course, that didn't change the fact that he didn't want to hang up. Hearing her voice was like balm to a wound that had been aching for a long time. He heard Rufus sigh on the other end.

"Jenny, I'd love to help you, but Dan and Serena told me this had to be your decision. They made a pretty good case. All I can tell you is to follow your heart; it'll never steer you wrong." Rufus kissed his daughter's forehead and gave her a hug. "Whatever you choose, just know that I'm here for you." He let go and looked at his daughter. She smiled and hiccupped just a little bit, before wiping her face.

"You're right Dad. I have to go." Nate hung up the phone, smiling and glad to have heard Jenny. She was coming to him, she had to be. Sure, she hadn't said it directly, but she might as well have had.

Meanwhile Jenny was dialing Serena's number while slipping on her heels. She answered on the first ring. "Serena, I-" the girl interrupted her.

"Say no more, there's already a cab waiting for you downstairs. Jenny laughed and grabbed her bag. She gave the apartment one final look before practically running downstairs. When she got there so saw the cab.

"Hi, I'm Jenny Humphrey. Did Serena send you?" The driver nodded in response and she leapt in. She noticed the time. It was 10:42. She had a little over an hour before midnight. She thought about Nate and finally being with him. She didn't know why she'd agonized for so long. Serena was right, it was merely a question if she trusted Nate and from there, there wasn't even a decision. She stared out the window, wishing she could speed up time to her moment with Nate. Her phone buzzed.

 **"Where is our Queen J going in such a hurry? Tsk, tsk, so many hearts to break, so little time" – Gossip Girl**

Someone had taken a picture of her rushing to the cab, and below it was pictures of both Nate and Aaron. Gossip Girl had a new poll on her site. She was asking fans to choose if they wanted Jenny with Nate or Aaron. They were both tied at 48% each. The other 4% was labeled "other." She shook her head, in her eyes there wasn't a contest. She was sad to think that she would hurt Aaron, but there was no other choice. She loved Nate, and that was all there was to it. She looked back out the window, surprised to find that while she recognized the street, it was nowhere near Nate's house. She knocked on the driver's window.

"Excuse me…" The driver grunted but didn't turn around. "Hello?" She peered around, an inkling of fear in her blood. The driver opened the window and answered.

"Yes?" His accent was thick, but she didn't recognize it. She swallowed and spoke again.

"Where are we going? The party is on the other side of town." She expected him to apologize and turn around, but instead he simply sped up just a tad.

"Miss Blair said to drive you around until midnight." He shut the window and continued driving. Now the inkling she had before turned into a full blown flood. Blair! She had trapped her. Was Serena working with her? How had she been so stupid to think that she could ever be friends with her? She banged on the glass.

"Please! Let me out!" The driver ignored her. She thought about jumping out, but at the speed she was going, she'd break something. She pulled out her phone, thinking about calling someone, anyone, but it was dead. Tears pooled in her eyes as the utter hopelessness of the situation dawned on her. She wasn't going to make it to Nate, and he would never believe her.

* * *

Blair was not a quitter, no matter what people said about her. She scanned the room around her, searching for familiar faces. She found Serena, deep in conversation with Dan. She walked over to her. "Hello Serena, Dan, how are you?" She noticed the look of worry on their faces and repressed the urge to laugh.

"Fine. Hey have you seen Jenny? I sent a cab for her almost an hour ago and she never showed up." Blair put on a look of concern, but Serena saw through it. While she was sure Blair didn't actually care about Jenny, it was odd that she was pretending to.

"How odd. No, I haven't seen her, but I'll keep an eye out." Dan walked away frustrated, looking to see if he could find his sister or someone who knew something. Serena pulled Blair aside, sensing that something was off.

"Okay Blair, I know you two are having this war thing, but please if you know anything tell me. Dan is worried sick." She pointed to Dan who was interrogating to party goers about his sister. Blair smiled, unable to help it.

"Jenny is fine, Serena. In fact, I can take you to her right now." She pulled Serena by the arm, taking her to a guest bedroom at Nate's house. Along the way she took two drinks from a passing waitress and handed one to the blonde. "Trust me, you'll need it when you see this." Serena nodded stiffly and downed the drink, worry in her face. When they got to the room there it was… empty?

"Where's Jenny?" She looked around, wondering if she was hiding. Blair simply smiled.

"Busy for now, she won't be needed until later. I convinced your driver to keep her occupied until the time is right." She pushed Serena onto the bed, and stepped away. "If I were you I wouldn't operate any heavy machinery for a few hours. There was enough Xanax in that drink to knock out my mom and that's saying something." Serena's eyes widened in surprise.

"Blair!" She tried to stand up, but she found it hard to move in the drug hazed stupor that clouded her vision.

"Serena, I can't have you coming to save the day. I'll let you out in a couple of hours, after that little wannabe has been dethroned and Nate has seen her for what she really is." She stepped out and shut the door. After a second she opened it again. "And if you tell Nate about this, I swear to God I will tell Dan all about your old friend Georgina." She smirked and shut the door behind her, clicking a lock into place. Serena struggled to stand, but could barely crawl once she made it to the floor. She passed out, reaching for the handle.

* * *

Jenny was still trapped in the cab, but luckily, traffic made it so that they were at a standstill. She peeked over at the driver, and found him staring ahead, bopping his head to whatever music was playing. She swallowed and grabbed her bag, unclicking her seatbelt as quietly as she could. He froze, but didn't turn around. Jenny counted to three in her head, and then burst out of the car. She took off sprinting, and heard the driver shout behind her. But it was too late, she had spotted the bus before she'd leapt out and bee lined towards it. She jumped on, swiping her metro card just before the doors shut. The driver was left in the cold, as she shakily took her seat. Some of the people gave her odd looks, but for the most part they ignored her. Something about that gave her comfort, it was nice to just be another face in the crowd again.

* * *

It was 11:38, almost 20 minutes to midnight. Jenny got off the bus, glad that she'd known the bus routes well enough to make it to Nate's with only one transfer. She made it to his house and the mere site of it almost brought her back to tears. She walked to the entrance and waited in line. A moment later she heard the phone of the girl in front of her buzz, something she'd been expecting.

 **"It looks like Cinderella decided to show up to the ball after all. I know a wicked step sister who's not going to be pleased" – Gossip Girl**

She heard her read it aloud to her friend who turned around looking and caught Jenny's eye. Jenny put on her best "Queen Face" and made her voice cold. "Can I help you?" The girl squeaked and turned around meekly, whispering to her friend. They both entered the building, leaving Jenny first in line. She told the bouncer her name and walked inside.

Nate had made it sound like a small thing, but it looked anything but. There had to be at least a hundred kids there, and that was a conservative estimate. Everyone was dancing and talking in groups. Jenny made her way through the crowd, her eyes searching for one boy in particular. Unfortunately, that's not what she found.

"Jenny!" It was Dan, who crushed her in a bear hug. She squirmed out of his grip, and managed to pull away.

"Dan, now is not the time. Wait! What time is it?" She looked around nervously, scanning for Nate. Dan gave her an incredulous look, but checked his watch anyways.

"It's 3 minutes to midnight." Jenny was gone as soon as the words left his mouth. She raced around the party, searching for Nate, but couldn't find him. A minute passed by, and then another. People were counting down. She was getting desperate now, frantically going in circles. Finally, someone caught her arm. She looked up at him, relief hitting her, before she realized it was not the face she'd been hoping to see. It was Aaron.

"Aaron what are you doing here?" She pulled her arm from his grasp, and continued looking around, despite being momentarily surprised. He grinned.

"I checked Gossip Girl and it said you were here. Look Jenny, I know what you came here to do, but I'm here to ask you to stop. Archibald is just going to hurt you again. Please, come with me." He held his hand out to her. She gave him a sympathetic look and stopped her searching for just a second. She spoke fast, she only had 35 seconds left.

'Listen Aaron, I care about you. And you're a nice guy, but I can't be with you. It's really sweet of you to come here, but I belong with Nate. He and I… We're just meant for each other. You and I haven't even had our first kiss yet." She chuckled a little, a spotted Nate over Aaron's shoulder. He hadn't seen her yet, but she was so close. "Look, I have to go." She started to walk away, but Aaron caught her arm. He wanted to show her that they had something, so in an attempt to be romantic he kissed her. And it was a good kiss. She hadn't been expecting it, and while somewhere deep inside she could recognize that he did it because he liked her and not to be mean, she still pulled away angrily. She didn't want to kiss Aaron, she wanted to kiss Nate. As she did, she heard the chant and chorus of people cheering.

"Happy New Years!" It rang out from everyone around her. Despair showed on her face as she heard the words.

"Aaron I'm sorry, but I have to go. She looked around for Nate and when she turned around she saw him kissing Blair Waldorf. Tears reached her eyes and she ran away, unable to contain her feelings.

* * *

Nate had seen the Gossip Girl text and it lifted his spirits. Jenny had come, and everything would work out. He searched around for her, hoping to catch her blonde hair and those blue eyes. Finally, he saw her, but the sight didn't make him feel any better. Jenny was here, but she wasn't here for him. He heard the countdown, and all he could see was Jenny, with her lips pressed against his. Aaron Hearst, the guy Gossip girl had warned him about. Rage tore at him, it made him want to hit the guy or at least hit someone. Then he heard it. Everyone was cheering for the New Year. He started to walk away when someone pulled his arm. He turned around and there she was. Blair Waldorf. She practically threw herself at him and eagerly mashed her mouth on his. He didn't respond, he too busy trying to sort through his emotions. Anger, sadness, regret and guilt all ate away at him. He pulled away and shook his head.

"Blair, how many times do I have to tell you no?" His voice was empty and hollow. He walked away, towards his room. He didn't know what he was going to do, he just needed to escape.


End file.
